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SKETCHES 

OF 

WESTERN  METHODISM 

[real,  pstarital,  anb  1 

ILLUSTRATIVE  OF  PIONEER  LIFE 


REV.  JAMES  B.  FINLEY 


EDITED  BT 


W.  P.  STRICKLAND,  D.  I). 


PRINTED  AT  THE  METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN, 
FOR  TH.E  AUTHOR. 

B.    T.    THOMPSON,    PBIVTKB. 
1854. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854, 
BY  JAMES  B.  FINLEY, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
District  of  Ohio. 


PKEFACE. 


OUE  book  explains  itself,  so  far  as  the  object  we 
had  in  view  in  getting  it  up  is  concerned.  To  sup- 
ply a  desideratum  in  the  history  of  western  Method- 
ism, at  least,  so  far  as  taking  the  incipient  steps  in 
that  work  is  concerned,  has  prompted  our  endeavors. 
We  have  been  at  a  great  deal  of  labor  in  furnishing 
our  readers  with  memorials  of  tfye  past,  connected 
with  the  lives  of  our  early  itinerant  preachers,  and 
collateral  incidents  in  the  history  of  the  west,  and 
we  hope  our  labor  has  not  been  in  vain. 

Our  readers  will  here  find,  as  they  turn  over  these 
pages,  much,  we  trnst,  that  is  interesting  and  valu- 
able in  reference  to  olden  time ;  and  while  they  shall 
trace  the  life  and  labors  of  the  pioneer  Methodist 
preachers,  in  planting  the  standard  of  the  cross  in 
these  western  wilds  before  many  of  them  were  born, 
we  hope  they  may  be  induced  to  engage  with  like 
zeal  and  devotion,  to  sustain  the  interests  of  the 
Church,  and  hand  down  to  posterity,  unimpaired  and 
unadulterated,  what  our  fathers  have  so  nobly  con- 
tended for  in  the  well-fought  field  of  itinerant  life. 

The  noble  examples  furnished  in  these  sketches, 
of  untiring  labor  and  self-sacrificing  devotion  of 
those  who  cheepfully  gave  up  all  for  Christ  and  the 
advancement  of  his  cause,  should  stir  up  every 
impulse  of  our  nature  to  emulate  their  virtues  and 

strive    to    imitate    their    truly-heroic  deeds.      We 

3 

1101125 


4  PKEFACE. 

would  that  our  materials  had  been  more  ample  for 
the  work  we  had  undertaken,  that  the  sketches  we 
have  given  of  the  pioneers  might  have  been  more 
satisfactory.  Much  had  already  perished,  and  the 
waves  of  oblivion  were  rapidly  washing  out  the  few 
traces  that  remained;  but  we  have  gathered  up 
what  we  could,  and  have  presented  them  in  a  form, 
not  only  sufficiently  reliable  for  all  purposes  of 
reference  for  the  future  historian,  but,  we  flatter  our- 
selves, sufficiently  attractive  to  render  the  book  one 
of  interest  to  all. 

Should  our  life  be  spared,  we  intend  to  prose- 
cute this  work  still  further;  and  as  the  materials 
will  prove  more  abundant  as  we  advance  to  the 
preachers  of  the  present  day,  we  hope  to  give 
increasing  interest  to  our  memorials  of  western 
Methodism.  "We  have  already  promises  from  breth- 
ren in  various  conferences,  spread  over  what  was. 
in  the  days  of  our  fathers,  the  Western  conference, 
to  warrant  the  expectation  that  a  full  and  reliable 
history  of  our  Church,  and  the  many  interesting 
incidents  connected  with  its  rise  and  progress  in 
the  great  valley  of  the  west,  can  be  gathered  up, 
that  will  prove  a  source  of  instruction  and  deep, 
powerful  interest  in  rousing  to  higher  activity,  in 
promoting  the  advancement  of  the  Redeemer's  king- 
dom. 

J.    B.    FlNLEY. 

Cincinnati,  May  1,  1854. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

ISTRODUCTIOX     OT    METHODISM    IHTO    TUX    WIST. 

Condition  of  the  country  in  the  early  days  of  Methodism — History  of 
Methodism  unwritten — Privations  of  pioneer  backwoodsmen — Pioneer 
preachers — Fathers  of  Methodism — Examples  of  heroism — Reminiscen- 
ces— Introduction Page  17 

CHAPTER   II. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OF    BIT.    WILLIAM    BUBKE. 

His  birth  and  ancestry — His  baptism — Hears  the  first  Methodist  ser- 
mon— Fashions  of  that  day — Philip  Cox — Francis  Poythress — Thomas  Va- 
sey — Education  in  those  days — Conversion — Begins  to  exhort — Travels  a 
circuit — Returns  home — Preaches  during  the  week — Admitted  on  trial 
and  starts  for  the  west,  and  travels  West  New  River  circuit — First  preach- 
ers in  the  west — Remarkable  circumstance — Alarm  on  account  of  the 
war — Inhabitants  fled  from  their  homes — First  General  conference  in  the 
United  States — Start  to  the  annual  conference — Mr.  Asbury's  plan  of 
travel  in  the  wilderness — Indians  discovered — Preachers  at  conference — 
Danville  circuit — Crossing  the  wilderness — Conference — Hinkston  circuit — 
Wayne's  campaign — Bethel  Academy — Limestone  circuit — Conference  at 
Earnest's — Cumberland  district — O'Kelly — Controversy — Mai  ries — Bishop 
Asbury's  opinion — Attends  second  General  conference — Chartered  fund— 
Simon  Carlisle — Holston  circuit — J.  A.  Grenade — Hard  times— Controversy 
with  the  Baptists — Change  of  preachers 23 

CHAPTER   III. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY     CONTINUED. 

A  new  era  in  the  history  of  Methodism — Description  of  the  men  and 
means  employed  in  the  establishment  and  progress  of  Methodism — Local 
preachers — Talented  young  preachers — Settlement  of  Kentucky — First 
preachers — State  of  religion — Great  revival — Account  of  by  James  Haw — 
Western  conference — Beginning  of  the  great  revival  at  Cane  Ridge — De- 
scription of— Revival  in  Tennessee — Attends  the  Legislature  of  Ken- 
tucky— Builds  a  cabin — Sent  to  Ohio  to  form  a  new  district — Labors  in 
Ohio — Number  of  circuits  in  the  Western  conference — Sickness — Salt  River 
district— Salary— End  of  his  labors 57 

1*  5 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    IV. 

MICHAEL     ELLIS. 

His  place  of  birth  unknown — Converted  through  the  instrumentality  of 
Wesley's  missionaries — Commences  to  preach — Appointed  to  the  city  of 
Baltimore — Fairfax,  Virginia — Obliged,  from  want  of  support,  to  locate — 
Duty  of  the  Church — Trials  of  a  preacher — Removes  to  Belmont  county, 
Ohio — Re-enters  the  itinerant  field — Appointed  to  West  Wheeling  circuit — 
His  popularity  as  a  preacher — Character  of  many  preachers — Bishop  As- 
bury's  advice  to  young  preachers — His  style  of  preaching — Refutation  of 
Arianism — Our  colleague — Hard  circuit — Father  Walker — Pickavvay  cir- 
cuit— Superannuated — His  death — Personal  appearance Page  93 

CHAPTER   V. 

ORIGIN    AND    PEOGEESS    OF    METHODISM    IN    CINCINNATI. 

Early  settlement  of  Cincinnati— Presbyterian  Church — First  meeting- 
house— Baptist  Church — John  Kobler  visits  Fort  Washington — His  de- 
scription— Rev.  John  Collins — Preaching  at  Mr.  Carter's  house,  on  Front- 
street — Class  formed — Rev.  John  Sale — Accessions  from  abroad — Character 
of  Methodism  in  those  days— An  incident — First  love-feast — Old  Stone — 
Old  Brick — Wesley  Chapel — Ninth-street — Morris  Chapel — Asbury  Chapel- 
Christie — York-street — M'Kendree — Bethel — Walnut  Hills —  Mount  Au- 
burn— Union  Chapel — Methodist  enterprise — Other  Methodist  churches — 
German  Methodism — Wesleyan  Female  College — Preliminary  meetings — 
Organization — The  Wesleyan  Cemetery 102 

CHAPTER   VI. 

FRANCIS     POYTHRESS. 

Early  life  not  known — Received  on  trial  1776 — Conversations  with  Mr. 
Wesley — Appointed  to  Carolina  circuit — Organization  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church — Presiding  elder  of  a  district — Supernumerary — Again 
made  effective — Presiding  elder — Mind  affected — Desists  from  preaching, 
and  returns  home — An  account  written  by  Rev.  T.  Scott  for  the  Western 
Christian  Advocate — Notes  by  Samuel  Williams,  Esq.,  of  Mt.  Auburn  •  •  129 

CHAPTER  VII. 

BARNABAS    M  '  H  E  N  E  Y  . 

Among  the  first  Methodist  preachers  in  the  west — Contempt  for  the 
Church — Caricatures — Specimen — Admitted  into  the  traveling  connection, 
and  appointed  to  Yadkin  circuit — No  missionary  society  at  that  time— 
Bascom's  description — Thanksgiving  sermon — Opposition  from  the  Bap- 
tists on  Danville  circuit — Persecution — Methodist  preacher  goes  every- 
where— Success  of  his  labors — Exclusive  devotion — Presiding  elder  of 
Holston  district — Labors  increase — Active  in  the  Cane  Ridge  revival — 
Took  a  local  relation — Re-entered  the  traveling  connection — Attacked  with 
cholera — Dies — His  character  as  a  preacher — Worthy  of  imitation 143 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTEE  VIII. 

THOMAS    SCOTT. 

The  oldest  living  preacher  now  in  the  west — His  birth  and  ancestry- 
Conversion — Enters  the  traveling  connection  at  sixteen  years  of  age — 
Appointed  to  Gloucester  circuit — Ohio  circuit — Sent  to  the  Kentucky  con- 
ference— Dangers—  Danville  circuit — Located — Lexington  circuit — Studies 
law — Enters  upon  the  practice — Appointed  prosecuting  attorney — Removes 
to  Chilicothe—  Clerk  in  the  territorial  Legislature — Justice  of  the  Peace — 
Secretary  of  the  senate — One  of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court— Rep- 
resentative of  Ross  county  in  the  Legislature  of  Ohio— Register  of  the 
Land-Office — His  legal  and  ministerial  qualifications Page  154 

CHAPTER   IX. 

JOHN   KOBLBR. 

Preached  the  first  Methodist  sermon  in  the  state  of  Ohio — His  birth  and 
early  religious  training — Conversion  and  call  to  the  ministry — Pioneer  in 
the  North- Western  territory — Remarkable  account  of  a  lady  captured  by 
the  Indians — Her  sufferings— Escape — Kobler  crosses  the  Ohio,  and  enters 
the  north-western  wilderness — His  account  written  for  the  Historical  So- 
ciety— The  present  compared  with  the  past — His  abilities  as  a  preacher — 
Locates  —  Superannuated — Removed  to  Fredericksburg,  Virginia — His 
spirit — Dignified  bearing — His  labors — Powerful  revival — Sickness — Happy 
state  of  mind— Death 168 

CHAPTER  X. 

BEXJAMIX     LAKIX. 

His  birth  and  early  training — Seeks  and  obtains  religion — Call  to  the 
ministry — Life  of  an  itinerant — Thoughts  upon  the  ministry — Character 
of  early  preachers — Qualifications  necessary — Lakin  enters  the  itiner- 
ancy— Marries — Locates — No  provision  made  for  the  wife — Free  Gospel — 
Re-enters  the  traveling  connection — Our  acquaintance  with  Lakin — His 
mode  of  traveling — Travels  various  circuits — Becomes  supernumerary- 
Superannuated — Preaches  regularly  every  Sabbath — Sickness — Sudden 
death ' 178 

CHAPTER   XI. 

JOHN     SALE. 

The  philosophy  of  history — Interest  attaching  to  narratives  of  human 
life — Birth  of  Sale — His  early  life  and  religious  training — Temptations — 
His  integrity — His  call  to  the  ministry — His  first  circuit — A  difficult 
field  of  labor — North- Western  territory — Organizes  the  first  Methodist 
society  in  Cincinnati — Extent  of  the  fields  of  labor — Preachers — Miami 
district — Our  first  license  to  preach — Camp  meeting  on  Paint  creek — Rec- 
ollections of  the  past— Kentucky— Ohio — Superannuates— Re-enters  the 


8  CONTENTS. 

traveling  connection — Enjoyments — Last  sufferings — Death — His  personal 
appearance — His  preaching  talents — Ability  as  an  administrator  of  Disci- 
pline— His  descendants Page  185 

CHAPTER   XII. 

THE    FIRST    METHODIST    CHUECHES    IK    OHIO. 

Associations  connected  with  the  first  churches — Sketch  from  the  pen 
of  Rev.  Henry  Smith — Sketch  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  John  Meek — Hopewell 
log  meeting-house — Holmes  meeting-house — Log  meeting-house  atOdle's — 
Pioneers  of  Miami 193 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

SAMUEL    PABKEE. 

Born  in  the  state  of  New  Jersey — Parents  religious — Basis  of  moral 
character — His  conversion  to  God — Society — A  general  favorite  —  Fine 
singer — Abandoned  his  wicked  associates — Private  member  of  the  Church — 
Exercises  about  a  call  to  the  ministry — Obeys  the  call,  and  is  admitted 
into  the  local  connection — His  studies  preparatory  to  entering  the  itiner- 
ancy— Enters  tho  Western  conference — Appointed  to  Lexington  circuit — • 
His  success  in  the  ministry — His  musical  talent — An  incident — His  elo- 
quence as  a  preacher — The  surprise  of  the  Dutchman — Large  district  in 
the  west — Meeting  at  the  Lower  Market  Space  in  Cincinnati — Great  camp 
meeting — Miami  district — Sent  by  the  bishops  to  the  Mississippi  confer- 
ence—Separation— Sickness — Death — The  personal  appearance  of  Par- 
ker  202 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

LEAENEE     BLACK3IAX. 

Born  in  New  Jersey — The  date  of  our  acquaintance — Brother-in-law  of 
Rev.  John  Collins — Personal  appearance — Different  classes  of  Methodist 
preachers — Style  of  the  present  day — Blackman  enters  the  itinerant  field — 
Sent  to  Kent  circuit — Sent  a  missionary  to  Natchez — Travels  through  a 
•wilderness — Character  of  the  inhabitants — An  incident — Stranger  in  a 
strange  land — Presiding  elder  of  the  Mississippi  district — Holston — Mar- 
ries— Visits  his  relatives  in  Ohio — Returns  as  far  as  Cincinnati — Attempt 
ing  to  cross  the  river  he  is  drowned 215 

CHAPTER  XV. 

LOST  CHILD;   OE,  THE  CAMP  OF  LYDIA. 

Lost  children  in  the  city— Lost  in  the  woods— The  Osborn  family,  north- 
east of  Cincinnati — Little  girls  sent  out  in  search  of  the  cows — Lydia 
lost — Alarm  and  excitement — Neighbons  start  out  in  every  direction — No 
tidings — Night  spent  in  fruitless  search — Her  tracks  discovered — Wash- 
burn — Large  collection  of  people — Divided  into  companies — Washburn 
discovers  where  she  had  slept — Great  excitement — Sixteen  days  pass 


CONTENTS.  » 

away  in  fruitless  search — A  thousand  persons  on  the  search — Fourteenth 
day  tracks' found — A  little  cabin  built  by  the  child  found  near  a  black- 
berry patch — Excitement  produced  by  the  sight  of  it — Her  bonnet  found — 
Tracks  of  horses — An  Indian  camp — Company  disband — Father  continued 
the  search  as  long  as  he  lived Page  223 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

JAMES    AXLEY. 

Meager  materials  for  a  biography  of  Methodist  preachers — Bishop  Mor- 
ris's personal  recollections — Alley's  early  fields  of  labor — Bishop  Morris's 
first  interview  with — A  natural  genius — Colloquy — His  power  of  song — 
Pleasantry  about  voting — His  personal  appearance — Well  versed  in  human 
nature — An  incident — His  courtship  and  marriage — Opposition  to  slavery 
and  whisky — Quaint  sermon — An  incident  in  the  pulpit — The  opinion  of  a 
judge — A  preacher  for  the  times 231 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

JOSEPH      OaiiBSBY. 

The  first  pioneer  preacher  of  Illinois — Jesse  Walker — HU  labors  in  Ten- 
nessee and  Indiana — Location — Engages  in  the  practice  of  medicine — 
His  zeal  and  industry — Re-enters  the  traveling  connection — Superannu- 
ates— Indiana  conference  memoir 247 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

WILLIAM     BEAUC1IAMP. 

Early  life  and  education — Literary  attainments — Essays  on  the  Truth 
of  the  Christian  Religion — Editor  of  a  religious  periodical — Sketch  of 
Beauchamp,  written  by  Rev.  T.  8.  Hinde — Removal  to  Mount  Carmel — 
Occupation  and  labors  at — School  teaching — Anecdote  of  a  preacher  who 
went  to  teaching — Beauchamp  retires  to  a  farm — Loss  of  his  son — Re- 
enters  the  itinerant  ranks — Travels  Indiana  district — Member  of  General 
conference — Sickness  and  death — Description  of  his  personal  appearance — 
Character  as  a  preacher 250 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

GOVERNOR    TIFFIH. 

His  birth  and  education — Studies  medicine — Hears  Rev.  Thomas  Scott 
preach — Joins  the  Church — Call  to  the  ministry — His  trials — Is  made  a 
deacon  at  sight  by  Bishop  Asbury — Practice  of  his  profession — Elected  a 
member  of  the  territorial  Legislature — Mr.  Sibley — Debates — Delegate 
to  the  convention  to  form  the  Constitution  of  the  state — First  Governor 
of  Ohio — Letter  to  President  Jefferson — Reply — Senator  in  Congress — 
Representative  in  state  Legislature — Scene  in  the  Capitol  of  the  state — 
Resumes  the  practice  of  his  profession — His  skill  as  a  surgeon — Commis- 


10  CO  JN  TENTS. 

sioner  of  the  General  Laud-Office  at  Washington — Residence  in  Washing- 
ton— War  in  1814 — Surveyor-General  of  public  lands — Sickness — Death- 
Obituary — His  wife  and  children Page  260 

CHAPTER   XX. 

JOHN    A.     GRENADE. 

Sketch  of  Grenade  by  Rev.  Dr.  Baker — Preliminary*  remarks — Descrip- 
tion of  early  preachers  in  the  south-west — Grenade  a  son  of  thunder — 
Nothing  known  of  his  parentage  and  early  life — His  person — A  physician 
and  poet — Despondency  of  mind — The  exercises  of  his  mind — Poetry — 
Returns  to  the  ministry — His  labors  in  different  fields — His  great  zeal — • 
Incident — His  character  as  a  poet 288 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

•WESTERN    METHODIST    BOOK    CONCERN. 

Concern  first  established  in  Philadelphia — Branch  in  Cincinnati — Dr. 
Ruter  first  Agent — Wholesale  establishment — First  book  published — Agent 
ineligible  to  re-election — Rev.  C.  Holliday — Removal — Rev.  J.  F.  Wright — 
Demand  for  books — Western  Christian  Advocate — Discipline  changed  in 
regard  to  election  of  Agents — Purchase  of  a  lot  of  ground,  and  erection 
of  buildings — First  original  publication — Subsequent  works — German  pub- 
lications—  Charter — Ladies'  Repository  —  Authority  to  publish  certain 
books — German  Apologist — Other  buildings — Description  of  the  establish- 
ment— The  Editors — The  Agents — Amount  of  business 297 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

JOHN    COLLINS. 

Our  first  acquaintance  with  Rev.  John  Collins — Prepossessing  in  his 
manners — Preaching  in  Hillsboro — Preached  the  first  Methodist  sermon 
in  Cincinnati — Admitted  into  the  traveling  connection — Appointed  to  Mi- 
ami circuit — Extent  of  his  field  of  labor — Other  appointments — White 
Brown's  camp-ground — Story  of  the  lost  child — Effects  of  his  eloquence — 
His  peculiarities — Incident  at  camp  meeting — Conversion  of  a  yonng 
man — Another  incident — Personal  appearance — Revival  at  Lebanon,  Ohio — 
Dayton,  Ohio — Delegate  to  General  conference — Great  desire  to  hear  him 
preach — Incident  at  camp  meeting — Close  of  itinerant  career 317 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 

NATHAN    EMERY. 

Memories  of  our  fathers  passing  away — Birth  and  early  training  of 
Nathan  Emery — Leads  a  class — Licensed  to  preach — First  circuits — His 
pious  and  devoted  consort — Excessive  labors — Location — Removes  to  the 
•west — Sent  as  a  supply  on  Columbus  circuit — Re-enters  the  itinerancy — 
Stationed  in  Zanesville — Radical  controversy — Opposition — Revival — Inci- 
dent— Strange  things — Sent  to  Cincinnati — Chaplain  to  the  Ohio  Peniten- 
tiary— Delaware  circuit — Declining  health — Last  sickness — Death  •  •  •  330 


CONTKNTS.  H 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

THE    CONVERSION*    OF    A    FAMILY. 

Quarterly  meeting  on  Kuox  circuit — Sermon  on  duties  of  husbands  and 
fathers — Conviction — Fashion  of  the  world — Incident — Interview  of  tho 
father  with  his  family — Affecting  scene — Family  prayer — Family  join  the 
Church Page  339 

CHAPTER   XXV. 

JOHW    CRANE. 

Place  of  his  birth — Savage  wilderness — Early  Methodist  preachers — 
Importance  of  early  religious  trainiug — Incidents — Crane  admitted  into 
the  traveling  connection — Sent  to  the  Holttton  circuit — Hardships — Mis- 
souri— Vast  extent  of  field  of  labor — Broken  down  with  excessive  labors — 
Peace  and  joy  in  believing — Happy  death 347 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 

WILLIAM    YOUNG. 

Brother  of  Rev.  David  Young — Native  of  Virginia — Called  to  preach— 
Sent  to  Mad  River  circuit — Cincinnati  circuit — Means  of  travel — Personal 
appearance  of  Young — His  manners — Exposure  in  riding  to  North  Bend — 
Attacked  with  consumption — Visit  to  camp-ground — Early  dead 356 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE     CONVERSION     OF    AN     I  5  F  I  D  E  L  . 

Wonderful  manifestation  of  divine  grace — Infidel  of  the  French  school — 
Influence — Sophistical  reasoning — Universalist — Representative  in  the 
Legislature  of  Ohio — Family  of  the  infidel — The  daughter — Her  educa- 
tion— Goes  to  Methodist  meeting — Surprise — First  sermon — Mother's  re- 
proof — Trial — Conversion — Banished  from  home — Awakening  and  conver- 
sion of  the  father — Eliza's  return— Conversion  of  the  mother 360 

CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

ALEXANDER     CUMMINS. 

Preaches  in  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century — His  birth  and 
education — Conversion — Call  to  the  ministry — Admitted  on  trial,  and  sent 
to  Brush  Creek  circuit — A  man  of  one  work — Privations  and  hardships — 
Left  without  an  appointment  on  account  of  ill-health — The  drudgery  of 
teaching  school — Again  effective — Stationed  at  Cincinnati — Kentucky  dis- 
trict— Returns  to  Ohio— Sketch  of  his  life  and  labors,  written  by  Rev. 
Russel  Bigelow • 373 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE     CONVERSION     OF    A    CRUEL    MASTER. 

A  kind  master — Relations  existing  between  master  and  slave — Cuff  a 
valuable  servant — Professor  of  religion — Exhortation — Wicked  masters— 


1  •> 

CONTENTS. 


:  chaplain  of  the  plantation...... 

Page  379 

CHAPTER   XXX. 

SI  ABC  US     LINDSET. 

Born  in  Ireland— Protestant  parents— Yoi.™  T^A 
country-Hears  Methodist  preaching-Conversfon    "ndl  1°™*  *°  thiS 


the  colored  ~ 

..........................  380 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 

THE  DUTCHMAN'S  EXPERIENCE 

the 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

JOHN     STKAIfGE. 


preacher-False    ie     of 

Beautiful  tribute  ........  ...  °f  Meth°dist  preachers— 

...........................  399 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

ILL  I  A  31      P.     FIKLEY. 


and  youth  of-AetiTO 
in  his  habits  and  disposition  rtl^  ^^versjon-Wonderful  change 
Enters  the  itinerancy-M  etT^th  ,!  "  ".^T^-  of  Providence?! 
cal  operation-Restored  ^« 
preacher-Death  of  one  of  his  Z 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

EUSSEL     BIGELOW. 


circuit — A 
among  the  WyandoU^S™  -Successive  fields  of  labor-Mission 

Penitentiary-Success  of  his  iTors    V^^RM^'1,^^1^11  °f  the  Ohio 
of  mind-Incident-Work  don!  Eldgeville-Melancholy  state 

life  and  labors  by  Dr.  Thomson  . . !?.  .*       ***  ^  death-Stetch  of  his 

CHAPTER   XXXV. 

B-      BASCOH. 


CONTENTS.  13 

the  people — His  father  removes  to  Ohio — His  manual  labor — Licensed  to 
preach — Talents  early  developed — Saying  of  a  grave  divine — Father  Tay- 
lor, of  Boston — Extraordinary  powers — Sources  of  eloquence — Blessings 
of  poverty — First  circuits — Scenes  with  panthers — Fame  of  the  young 
preacher — Description  of  his  power  as  an  orator — Incident  with  boatmen — 
Opinion  of  Bascom — Effect  of  bis  preaching — Colleges  and  books — Irish 
orator — Traits  of  character — Independence — Force  ot  character — A  slight 
tribute Page  428 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

SAMUEL     HAMILTON. 

Diversity  of  character  among  ministers  of  the  Gospel — The  father  of 
Samuel  Hamilton — The  conversion — His  call  to  the  ministry — Brush  Col- 
leges— An  adventure  of  a  Methodist  preacher — Hamilton's  first  lessons — 
His  peculiar  talents  as  a  preacher — Ludicrous  anecdote — Sketch  written 
by  him  of  Methodism  in  Washington  county — Traits  of  character — Adapt- 
ation to  circumstances — Personal  appearance — Last  sickness — Closing 
scene 445 

CHAPTER   XXXVII. 

WILLIAM    H.    KAFKB. 

Born  in  troublous  times — His  father  and  mother — Removed  to  Ohio  in 
early  life — Enlisted  in  the  army — Promoted  to  office — Battle  of  the 
Thames — Change  of  prisoners — Mutiny — A  fearful  crisis — Delivered  the 
prisoners  at  the  Newport  Barracks — Offered  a  commission  in  the  regu- 
lar army — Reply  of  his  mother — Is  converted  and  joins  the  Church — 
Enters  the  traveling  connection — Meets  one  of  the  prisoners,  then  a  Meth- 
odist— Exposed  to  danger — Hardships  and  privations — A  mother's  pray- 
ers— His  abilities  is  a  preacher — Lost  scenes  in  his  life 466 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

JOHN     ULIS. 

Born  and  reared  in  the  wilds  of  Virginia — Ulin's  leap— John's  early 
life — Conversion — Enters  the  traveling  connection — First  appointment — 
Description  of  his  preaching — Gallipolis — Piketon  and  Waverly — Last 
field  of  labor — Cholera — Affecting  scene — Triumphant  death — Care  for  the 
children — The  ways  of  Providence  inscrutable 476 

CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

WILLIAM    PHILLIPS. 

His  birth  and  parentage — Early  training — Spends  his  evenings  in  liter- 
ary exercises — His  poetry — "  The  hypocrite  unmasked  " — Poetic  satire  on 
hog-stealing—Poem  entitled  "Alexander  the  Great;  or,  The  Learned 
Camel " — Specimen  of  political  life — Reads  infidel  books — Is  awakened  by 
the  question  of  his  little  son — Seeks  religion,  and  joins  the  Church — En- 
ters the  traveling  connection — His  labors — Appointed  Assistant  Editor  of 
the  Western  Christian  Advocate — A  serial  entitled  "Campbellism  Ex- 
posed"— Character  of  that  work — Sketch  of  his  life  and  labors  by  the  Edi- 
tors of  the  Advocate — His  personal  appearance 485 

2 


14r  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XL. 

THE     INTIIEPID     MISSIONARY. 

Daniel  Poe — Converted  under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Abner  Goff— Attended 
an  academy  at  "Worthington — Goes  to  Augusta — Licensed  to  preach,  and 
enters  the  conference- — First  labors — Sent  as  a  missionary  to  the  Indians- 
Perilous  adventure  on  the  ice — Brothertown  Indians — Mrs.  Ingram — Visits 
the  Illinois  conference — Volunteers  as  a  missionary  to  Texas — Labors — 
Returns  to  the  Ohio  conference — Receives  a  letter  from  his  wife — Conver- 
sion of  an  infidel — Founds  an  institution  of  learning  in  Texas — Preaches 
and  teaches — Is  taken  sick — Dies,  and  he  and  his  faithful  wife  are  buried 
in  the  same  grave Page  495 

CHAPTER   XLI. 

THOMAS      DRUMMOND. 

Born  in  Manchester,  England — Father  emigrates  to  the  west — Youth— 
Early  piety — Enters  the  work  of  the  ministry — His  first  appointment — 
Sent  to  Pittsburg — Gifts — Talents— Morgantown — His  labors  and  useful- 
ness— Volunteers  for  Missouri,  and  is  stationed  at  St.  Louis — Attacked 
with  cholera — Closing  scene — Last  words — Touching  and  beautiful  lines — 
Rev.  William.  Hunter's  sketch — Pleasant  reminiscences 510 

CHAPTER   XLII. 

INDIAN    CAMP    MEETING. 

Christian  Indians  of  the  Wyandott  mission — Indian  characteristics — 
Chiefs  and  queens — Faith  of  the  Indian — Religious  exercises— Cruel  hus- 
band— Conversion  of  the  wife — Inhuman  conduct — Visits  the  camp — Is 
awakened  and  converted — His  confession — Speech  of  Mononcue — Other 
incidents 517 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

CONVERSION     OF    AN    INSPECTOR-GENERAL. 

A  Christian  lady — Her  relation  to  the  Indians — Her  husband — Inspector- 
General — His  character — Short  history  of  Mrs.  Long — Other  members  of 
the  family — Death  of  a  beautiful  girl — General  Long  at  camp  meeting — • 
State  of  his  mind — Leaves  for  the  muster-field — Is  convicted — Returns  to 
the  encampment — His  conversion — Mononcue — Leaves  again  for  the  mus- 
ter-field— Plot  of  the  officers — Unyielding  firmness — Result  of — Converts 
at  the  camp  meeting. 523 

CHAPTER   XLIV. 

PIONEER    WOMEN. 

Patriotic  women  of  olden  time — Heroism  of  pioneer  mothers  of  tha 
west — An  incident  related  by  the  Rev.  B.  Maxey — Two  devoted  Christian 
females — Their  meetings  in  the  woods — Surprised  by  a  hunter — Hold  meet- 
Ings  on  Sabbath — Large  congregations — Conversions  through  their  instru- 
mentality— Arrival  of  the  preacher— Result  of  the  revival — Reflections — 


CONTENTS.  15 

Another  incident — The  old  log  meeting-house — Pious  old  lady — Visits  the 
old  church  every  Sabbath — Two  wicked  young  men — Their  awakening 
and  conversion — Waste-places  of  Zion  restored Page  531 

CHAPTER   XLV. 

EHON-T  AN-HES8. 

The  oldest  chief  in  the  Wyandott  nation — Among  the  first  to  make  a 
profession  of  Christianity — Great  hunter  and  brave  man — The  encounter 
of  Adam  Poe  with  Big  Foot  Indian  and  his  brother — Loss  sustained  by  the 
Wyandott  nation — Determination  of  revenge — Rhon-yan-ness  selected  for 
this  purpose — His  visit  to  the  cabin  of  Poe — Kind  reception — Purpose 
changed— Leaves  Poe  in  peace  and  safety — His  awakening  and  conver- 
sion— Burning  and  shining  light  among  his  nation — Relation  of  Christian 
experience — Triumphant  death 540 


SKETCHES 

OF 

WESTERN  METHODISM. 

CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTION   OP   METHODISM   INTO  THE  WEST, 

MANY  years  ago,  during  the  Revolutionary  struggle, 
and  before  the  bloody  scenes  of  Lexington  or  Bunker 
Hill  were  enacted ;  before  these  states  were  declared 
independent,  and  before  there  was  a  President  in  the 
chair  of  the  Union ;  when  all  the  western  country  was  a 
waste,  howling  wilderness,  untenanted  except  by  the  sav- 
age who  roamed  over  its  broad  prairies,  or  through  its 
dense  forests,  or  sped  his  light  canoe  over  the  surface  of 
its  mighty  rivers,  the  pioneer  Methodist  preacher  might 
have  been  seen  urging  his  way  along  the  war-path  of  the 
Indian,  the  trail  of  the  hunter,  or  the  blazed  track  of 
the  backwoodsman,  seeking  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house 
of  Israel  in  these  far-off,  distant  wilds.  Before  the  sun 
of  civilization  shone  upon  these  mountains  or  in  these 
vales,  or  over  these  prairies,  or  on  these  rivers,  the 
herald  of  the  cross,  with  his  messages  of  mercy,  was 
seen  wending  his  way  to  the  desolate  haunts  of  savage 
man.  To  pursue  such  in  their  godlike  journey  and 
labors  of  benevolence,  will  be  the  object  of  our  work. 
History  may  record  the  deeds  and  achievements  of 
mighty  warriors  of  olden  time,  effected  by  the  sword :  be 

2*  17 


18  SKETCHES    OF 

it  ours  to  follow  the  Christian  pilgrim  warrior  over  the 
fields  of  his  labor,  and  toil,  and  sacrifice,  and  recount 
the  victories  achieved  by  the  cross. 

The  history  of  Methodism  in  the  western  country  is, 
to  a  great  extent,  an  unwritten  history.  With  the 
exception  of  a  few  biographies  and  historical  sketches, 
and  a  few  detached  and  scattered  fragments,  gleaned 
from  time  to  time  by  historical  societies,  from  the  pio- 
neers who  yet  linger  among  us,  but  little  has  been  made 
a  matter  of  permanent  record.  A  thousand  hallowed 
associations  start  up  in  the  mind  at  the  mention  of 
venerable  names  whose  voices,  as  embassadors  of  Jesus, 
waked  the  echoes  of  these  dense  and  extended  forests 
fifty  years  ago.  What  mind  is  not  thrilled  and  delighted 
with  the  adventures  and  incidents  of  pioneer  life  in  the 
wilds  of  the  west  ?  When  we  hear  them  we  seem  to  be 
listening  to  the  tales  of  fiction  wrought  out  from  a 
fervid  imagination,  designed  only  to  please  for  the  while, 
and  then  to  pass  away  and  leave  the  mind  to  the  contem- 
plation of  life's  sober  realities;  but  instead  of  being  the 
fanciful,  overwrought  productions  of  that  wonderfully 
inventive  faculty,  they  are  graphic  descriptions  of  a  real 
life,  in  which  the  simple  narration  of  truth  becomes 
more  strange  than  the  most  glowing  fiction. 

But  what,  we  ask,  were  the  privation  and  heroic  deeds 
of  daring  of  the  pioneer  backwoodsman,  leveling  the 
forest,  or  roaming  the  woods  in  search  of  game,  when 
compared  with  the  toils,  hardships,  and  privations  of  the 
pioneer  preacher  of  the  Gospel  ?  If  the  lives  of  the  one 
are  an  example  to  their  descendants  of  an  energy  and  an 
enterprise  which  danger  and  the  greatest  difficulties  could 
not  intimidate  or  destroy,  the  self-sacrificing  devotion  of 
the  other,  urged  on  by  a  spirit  of  benevolence  as  bound- 
less as  the  wants  and  woes  of  humanity,  has  left  to  the 
Church  and  the  world  an  example  of  heroism  abounding 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  19 

in  every  thing  morally  sublime.  Their  heroic  deeds,  in 
bringing  to  the  cabins  of  the  sturdy  pioneer,  as  well  as 
the  wigwams  of  the  savage,  the  blessings  and  benefits  of 
religion,  will  be  treasured  up  in  memory,  if  not  recorded 
upon  the  page  of  history,  and  will  live  as  long  as  one  is 
found  to  recount  them  to  the  generations  yet  to  come. 
The  names  of  Ellis,  Tiffin,  M'Henry,  and  Burke;  of 
M'Cormick,  Scott,  Kobler,  Lakin,  Gatch,  Sale,  Collins, 
Parker,  Axley,  and  a  host  of  others  who  planted  Method- 
ism in  the  west,  will  ever  have  a  place  in  our  memory, 
and  be  handed  down  to  future  generations  as  those  whose 
arduous  and  abundant  labors  have  produced  what  we  so 
richly  enjoy  5  and  though  no  splendid  monuments  of 
brass,  or  marble,  or  even  rude,  simple  stones  may  tell 
where  their  ashes  rest,  yet  in  the  faithful  urn  of  a  thou- 
sand hearts  their  memories  shall  live  forever  fresh,  and 
the  fair  fame  which  they  achieved  on  the  well-fought 
field  will  be  better  than  the  precious  ointment  which 
loses  its  fragrance  and  departs  with  the  dead.  In  the 
language  of  one,  "  It  is  a  homage  due  to  departed  worth, 
whenever  it  rises  to  such  a  hight  as  to  render  its  possessor 
an  object  of  general  attention,  to  endeavor  to  rescue  it 
from  oblivion,  that,  when  it  is  removed  from  the  observa- 
tion of  men,  it  may  still  live  in  their  memory,  and  trans- 
mit through  the  shades  of  the  sepulcher  some  reflection, 
however  faint,  of  its  living  luster.  By  enlarging  the 
cloud  of  witnesses  with  which  we  are  encompassed,  it  is 
calculated  to  give  a  fresh  impulse  to  the  desire  of  imita- 
tion ;  and  even  the  despair  of  reaching  it  is  not  without 
its  use,  by  checking  the  levity  and  correcting  the  pride 
and  presumption  of  the  human  heart."  A  few  of  these 
early  pioneers  yet  linger  among  us ;  but  every  year  their 
number  grows  less,  and  with  their  departure  perishes  to  a 
great  extent  the  history  of  early  Methodism.  They  came 
here  when  all  was  a  wilderness;  when  the  "Queen  of  the 


20  SKETCHES    OF 

West" — where  we  now  live  to  sketch  their  history — and 
its  sister  cities,  consisted  of  a  few  block-houses,  to  pro- 
tect them  from  the  savages,  and  a  few  rude  hamlets. 
They  have  seen  the  mighty  west  grow  up  around  them, 
with  its  towns,  and  cities,  and  teeming  population ;  and 
their  lives  are  identilied  with  its  very  history.  While 
they  yet  remain  we  will  sit  by  them  and  listen  to  their 
eventful  history,  gathering  instruction  from  the  past,  and 
hope  and  encouragement  for  the  future,  that  we  may 
thereby  grow  wiser  and  better. 

As  autobiographies  are  more  interesting  and  satisfac- 
tory than  any  sketches,  however  graphically  or  faithfully 
written,  we  shall  avail  ourselves  of  such,  whenever  we 
can  obtain  them ;  and  where  this  is  impossible,  we  shall 
leave  no  means  untried  to  obtain  the  most  reliable  infor- 
mation from  living  cotemporaries.  If  our  object  were 
simply  to  make  a  book,  we  need  not  travel  beyond  the 
precincts  of  our  own  library  or  personal  knowledge — the 
latter  of  which  alone  would  furnish  us  materials  of  a  his- 
torical and  biographical  character  sufficient  to  fill  volumes. 

We  shall  begin  with  the  oldest  pioneer  preacher  now 
living  in  the  west,  an  octogenarian,  bending  with  the 
weight  of  years,  but  yet  engaged  in  active  life,  and 
enjoying  a  green  old  age,  with  health  and  faculties  alike 
unimpaired  by  the  ravages  of  time.  We  shall  introduce 
him  to  our  readers,  and  he  shall  speak  for  himself;  not, 
however,  with  that  tongue  which,  in  the  days  of  his 
prime,  possessed  an  eloquence  and  a  power  that  few  could 
rival  and  none  surpass ;  but  with  the  pen,  the  silent  pen, 
which  he  yet  wields  almost  as  vigorously  as  in  the  days  of 
his  youth.  The  venerable  Burke,  bending  beneath  the 
weight  of  more  than  "  threescore  years  and  ten  " — the 
first  Secretary  of  an  annual  conference  in  America — shall 
tell  you,  in  his  own  quaint  but  nervous  style,  the  history 
of  his  life  and  times. 


WE8TEBN    METHODISM.  21 

The  very  presence  of  this  venerable  man,  who  entered 
the  ministry  within  a  year  or  two  of  the  time  when 
Washington  ascended  the  chair  of  state — upward  of 
sixty-four  years  ago — not  only  hrings  around  us  the 
heroes  and  patriots  of  the  Revolution,  but  the  very 
fathers  of  Methodism,  and  we  seem  to  talk  with  Asbury, 
and  Coke,  and  M'Kendree;  Watters,  Gatch,  Everett, 
and  Vasey,  and  a  host  of  other  cotemporaries,  who  have 
long  since  passed  away.  This  history  will  connect  us 
with  the  first  Methodist  missionaries  to  America;  will 
take  us  back  to  the  days  of  Embury,  and  Webb,  and 
Pillmore,  and  Boardman ;  when  the  only  home  of  Meth- 
odism was  a  rigging-loft,  in  an  obsure  quarter  of  New 
York  city,  and  a  small,  despised  band  constituted  all  of  a 
Church  that  was  destined  to  spread  over  this  vast  conti- 
nent, from  the  lakes  to  the  everglades  of  Florida,  and 
from  Maine  to  Oregon  and  California.  It  will  record,  in 
part,  the  history  of  a  society  which,  in  a  period  of  eighty- 
six  years — within  two  years  of  the  age  of  our  venerable 
friend  and  father — has  increased  from  a  little  company 
of  ten  or  twelve  to  upward  of  a  million,  and  which  has 
more  ministers,  more  churches,  and  more  persons  attend- 
ing its  ministry,  than  any  other  denomination  in  the 
world.  We  shall,  in  his  autobiography,  see  him  when 
but  a  mere  youth,  the  foremost  of  a  pioneer  band,  en- 
countering the  perils  of  the  wilderness,  which  he  crossed 
eleven  times  during  the  Indian  war,  braving  its  dangers, 
and  submitting  to  its  hardships  and  privations  with  a 
zeal  and  devotion  worthy  of  the  high  and  holy  calling  in 
which  he  was  engaged,  and  which  would  damp  the  ardor 
and  check  the  zeal  of  many  of  the  aspirants  of  the 
present  day.  But  we  must  not  anticipate,  and  shall 
introduce  our  readers  at  once  to  the  narrative. 


22  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER   II. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY   OF   REV.    WILLIAM   BURKE. 

I  WAS  born  in  London  county,  state  of  Virginia,  on 
the  13th  day  of  January,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy.  My  ancestors  by 
my  father  were  from  Ireland,  and  settled  in  St.  Marys, 
Maryland,  about  the  commencement  of  the  settling  of 
that  colony.  My  grandmother  on  my  mother's  side  was 
born  in  Wales,  brought  up  in  London,  emigrated  to 
America  about  1750,  and  settled  in  Fairfax  county,  Vir- 
ginia, in  the  neighborhood  of  Mount  Vernon;  was  an 
inmate  of  the  family  of  General  Washington,  and  mar- 
ried a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Compton,  and  settled  in 
a  place  called  Clifton's  Xeck,  in  sight  of  Mount  Vernon. 
My  grandfather  died  before  my  recollection,  and  left 
two  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  married  and 
settled  in  Fairfax  county.  They  all  became  wealthy,  and 
lived  to  a  good  old  age.  My  grandmother  lived  to  the 
advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  ten,  and  died  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Church  of  England.  My  grandfather  on  my 
father's  side  had  two  children  by  his  first  wife,  who  also 
lived  in  Fairfax  county.  After  the  death  of  my  grand- 
mother he  moved  to  Albemarle  county,  where  he  had,  by 
a  second  wife,  several  children ;  and  while  engaged  in 
opening  a  farm,  in  the  early  settlement  of  that  country, 
was  killed  by  the  falling  of  a  tree.  With  that  branch  of 
the  family  I  had  no  acquaintance.  However,  in  1810  I 
became  acquainted  with  some  branches  of  the  family 
who  were  settled  in  Cumberland  county,  Kentucky,  and 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  M3 

who  had  lost  the  original  name,  and  wrote  their  name 
Burks.  They  were  settled  on  the  Cumberland  river,  at  a 
town  called  Burksville. 

My  father,  after  his  marriage  to  Rhoda  Compton, 
moved  to  London  county,  at  that  time  a  frontier  county, 
and  was  engaged  with  Washington  in  what  was  termed 
Braddock's  war.  My  father,  John  Burke,  had  three 
sons  and  one  daughter,  John,  Mary,  Anson,  and  William. 
John  and  Mary  died  when  young.  My  brother  Anson  is 
now  living  in  Williamson  county,  Tenn.,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-six.  He  had  four  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter, all  living  around  him,  except  William  Wesley,  who 
came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  died  here  in  1849.  My 
father,  at  the  commencement  of  the  Revolution,  took  the 
side  of  liberty,  and  was  among  the  first  who  enrolled  his 
name  under  Colonel  Leven  Powell,  as  a  minute  man,  and 
was  in  that  service  one  year  at  Hampton,  Virginia,  and 
again  at  Yorktown,  at  the  taking  of  Cornwallis,  where 
he  Buffered  every  thing  but  death.  During  the  summer 
of  1775,  while  my  father  was  at  Hampton,  the  first  Meth- 
odist preacher  visited  Loudon  county;  namely,  Joseph 
Everett.  My  mother  went  some  considerable  distance  to 
hear  him,  in  hopes  to  meet  with  some  intelligence  from 
my  father.  I  have  no  recollection  of  hearing  any  more 
of  the  Methodists  till  1780,  when  Philip  Cox  commenced 
preaching  at  Bacon  Fort  old  church,  the  parish  in  which 
my  father  then  lived,  and  in  which  I  was  baptized. 
There  being  no  parson  at  that  time,  the  Methodists  were 
allowed  to  preach  in  the  church.  I  was  then  ten  years 
old,  and  can  recollect  many  circumstances  that  transpired 
during  that  year.  It  was  the  fashion  at  that  day  for  the 
ladies  to  wear  enormous  high  rolls  on  the  head,  and  a 
report  had  been  in  circulation  for  some  time  that  a  calf 
had  been  born  near  Alexandria  with  one  of  those  rolls 
on  its  he*d.  P.  Cox  pave  out  that  the  next  time  he  came 


24:  SKETCHES    OF 

round,  in  four  weeks,  lie  would  show  them  a  wonder. 
The  whole  country  was  in  expectation  that  he  would 
exhibit  the  calf,  and  a  great  concourse  of  people  assem- 
bled. The  preacher  arrived,  but  instead  of  the  calf  he 
commenced  by  giving  out  his  text:  "And  there  appeared 
a  great  wonder  in  heaven,  a  woman  clothed  with  the  sun," 
etc.  This  gained  the  attention  of  the  multitude :  and  from 
that  time  Methodism  took  root  in  that  section  of  country. 

In  1781  Francis  Poythress  and  Michael  Ellis  were 
stationed  on  the  circuit ;  and  in  the  winter  of  1781  and 
1782,  under  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Ellis,  I  was  strangely 
and  deeply  affected;  but  it  wore  off  by  degrees;  for  at 
that  time  I  was  going  to  school,  where  we  had  but  little 
of  religion  taught.  My  father  and  mother  joined  the 
society  at  Royell's,  Bacon  Fort  old  church,  in  the  early 
part  of  1780.  Nothing  very  special  occurred  that  waked 
up  my  attention  till  the  summer  of  1784,  when  it  was 
given  out  that  Thomas  Vasey,  one  of  the  newly-ordained 
preachers,  was  to  preach  in  Leesburg.  He  preached  in 
the  court-house  to  a  very  large  concourse  of  people ;  and 
numbers  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  hearing  the  Meth- 
odists preach,  were  astonished  to  hear  him  perform  the 
morning  service  as  laid  down  in  the  Methodist  prayer- 
book.  The  practice  and  the  book  have  long  since  been 
laid  aside.  The  means  of  education  were  very  limited  in 
those  days,  and  in  that  part  of  the  country;  consequently, 
I  was  limited  to  what  was  then  called  an  English  educa- 
tion, all  of  which  I  completed  in  the  years  1785  and  1786. 

In  the  spring  of  1787  my  father  determined  to  remove 
to  the  state  of  Georgia.  We  accordingly  set  out  early  in 
the  spring.  The  preceding  year  had  been  very  unfavora- 
ble for  crops  in  the  south ;  and  having  arrived  in  North 
Carolina,  not  far  from  Guilford  court-house,  we  fell  into 
a  neighborhood  of  Virginians,  from  Fairfax  county,  and 
with  whom  my  father  and  mother  had  been  acquainted, 


WP:STERN  METHODISM.  25 

and  they  persuaded  us  to  spend  the  summer  with  them. 
We  did  so,  with  the  intention  of  going  to  Georgia  the 
next  spring ;  but  my  father  being  pleased  with  the  coun- 
try, determined  to  settle  himself  in  North  Carolina,  and 
accordingly  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  one  mile  of  the 
high  ford,  Haw  river.  In  the  neighborhood  I  formed 
new  associations,  became  very  profligate  and  vain,  and 
entered  fully  into  all  the  amusements  of  the  day.  3Iy 
dear  mother  was  very  pious,  and  I  was  her  darling  boy. 
The  course  I  was  then  pursuing  gave  her  much  pain  and 
affliction.  She  used  every  means  in  her  power  to  dis- 
suade me  from  it,  and  used  to  pray  for  me  day  and  night. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1790  I  was  awakened  under 
the  preaching  of  Isaac  Lowe.  In  the  fall  of  that  year 
the  society  established  a  weekly  prayer  meeting,  and  I 
was  a  constant  attendant,  and  had  formed  the  resolution 
never  to  stop  short  of  obtaining  experimental  religion. 

The  practice  then  among  the  Methodists  was  to  call 
upon  all  the  seekers  of  religion  to  pray  in  public  at  the 
prayer  meeting.  I  was  called  upon,  and  took  up  my 
cross,  and  continued  to  pray  at  every  prayer  meeting.  In 
the  month  of  February,  1791,  after  the  preacher  con- 
cluded, he  opened  the  door  to  receive  members.  I  went 
forward  alone  and  gave  my  name,  and  there  was  great  joy 
manifested  at  the  return  of  so  great  a  prodigal,  and  1 
was  the  first-fruits  of  a  great  revival.  In  the  month  of 
March  I  attended  a  quarterly  meeting  at  Smith's  meeting- 
house, on  Guilford  circuit.  On  Saturday  and  Saturday 
night  I  was  in  great  distress,  and  slept  but  little.  On 
Sunday  morning  early  I  betook  myself  to  the  woods  and 
wandered  about  and  prayed  earnestly  ibr  deliverance. 
At  nine  o'clock  the  love-feast  began.  I  can  not  recollect 
much  that  was  done.  I  fell  senseless  to  the  floor,  and 
the  first  I  can  recollect  I  was  on  my  feet  giving  glory  to 
God  in  loudest  strains,  to  the  astonishment  of  many. 

8 


26  SKETCHES    OF 

After  my  ecstasy  was  over,  and  I  came  to  reflect,  my  load 
of  sin  was  gone.  I  felt  no  more  condemnation,  but  could 
not  say  that  I  was  born  again.  In  this  situation  I 
remained  for  eight  days;  and  on  the  next  Sunday  even- 
ing, after  having  returned  from  meeting,  I  betook  myself 
to  the  woods,  and  at  the  root  of  a  large  whiteoak-tree, 
while  engaged  in  prayer,  God  gave  me  the  witness  of  the 
Spirit,  and  from  that  moment  I  went  on  my  way  rejoicing. 
We  continued  our  prayer  meeting  with  increasing  inter- 
est, and  very  soon  one  and  another  would  get  converted, 
and  our  meetings  would  sometimes  continue  all  night. 
The  class-leader,  who  in  those  days  would  open  and  con- 
duct the  prayer  meeting,  put  me  forward  to  open  the 
meetings,  and  I  commenced  after  prayer  to  give  an 
exhortation.  The  heavenly  flame  spread  through  the 
neighborhood,  and  the  neighboring  classes  caught  'the 
holy  fire,  and  in  a  short  time  hundreds  attended  our 
night  meetings.  I  have  often  walked  five  and  six  miles 
to  a  night  meeting,  and  spent  the  whole  night,  while  the 
mourners  were  down  in  the  house  and  all  over  the  yard, 
crying  mightily  to  God  for  mercy.  That  year  George 
M'Kinney,  a  son  of  thunder,  was  sent  to  Guilford  circuit, 
who  entered  fully  into  the  work,  and  great  numbers  were 
added  to  the  Church.  In  the  month  of  June  of  this 
year,  I  made  my  first  attempt  at  preaching  from  a  text. 
The  words  were,  "Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and 
the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts;  and  let  him  return 
lo  the  Lord,  who  will  have  mercy  upon  him,  and  to  our 
God,  who  will  abundantly  pardon."  I  had  great  liberty, 
and  found  favor  in  the  eyes  of  the  people.  I  continued 
to  exercise  my  gift  in  exhortation  and  preaching  when- 
ever opportunity  presented.  In  the  month  of  August  I 
attended  a  quarterly  meeting  at  the  Hawfield,  New  Hope 
circuit,  at  the  Tartemele.  There  was  a  great  collection 
of  people  on  Sunday.  Thomas  Ware  was  elder;  but 


METUODltiM.  27 

Thomas  Bowen  was  at  the  quarterly  meeting  oil  a  tour 
south,  and  preached  the  first  sermon  on  Sunday  j  and  at 
the  close  of  the  sermon  they  set  me  up  to  exhort.  I  had 
a  voice  like  thunder,  and  it  seemed  as  though  there  was 
a  fire  in  my  bones.  The  dry  bones  began  to  tremble, 
and  sinners  began  to  leave  the  house;  the  fire  was  too 
warm  for  them.  Upon  the  whole,  we  had  a  good  time. 
Many  in  that  quarter  had  never  seen  the  like  before. 
Brother  Isaac  Lowe  was  then  traveling  on  New  Hope 
circuit.  He  was  a  married  man,  and  his  family  lived  in 
the  neighborhood  of  my  father's,  and  we  returned  in  com- 
pany home.  In  the  fall,  at  the  beginning  of  October, 
brother  Lowe  insisted  that  I  should  accompany  him 
round  New  Hope  circuit.  Accordingly,  I  arranged  my 
business  so  as  to  make  the  tour  of  six  weeks.  We  went 
on  together,  preaching  time  about,  till  he  was  taken 
sick  and  returned  home,  and  left  me  to  complete  the 
round.  I  did  so,  and  then  returned  home,  where  I 
found  him  recovered  from  his  illness.  One  of  the 
preachers  had  left  Guilford  circuit  and  gone  home.  I 
was  requested  to  take  his  place.  I  did  so,  and  traveled 
that  winter  on  that  circuit.  On  one  of  my  rounds  I  fell 
in  with  Thomas  Anderson,  the  presiding  elder.  He 
inquired  if  I  had  any  permit  to  exhort  or  preach.  I  told 
him  I  had  not,  and  before  we  parted  he  gave  me  a  license, 
which  was  the  only  license  I  ever  had,  till  my  name  was 
on  the  minutes  of  the  annual  conference.  The  annual 
conference  for  that  year  was  at  M'Knight's,  on  the  Yad- 
kin  river,  on  the  second  of  April.  There  was  no  formal 
application  made  by  me  to  travel,  and  no  vacancy  offering, 
I  returned  home,  and  had  thoughts  of  settling  myself  foi 
life,  and  began  to  make  preparations  for  building  a  house 
and  opening  a  farm ;  but  my  mind  was  not  at  rest.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  and  fall  I  used  to  preach  three,  four,  and 
five  times  a  week,  and  ride  forty  and  fifty  miles.  The 


28  SKETCHES    OF 

conference  for  this  year  was  held  at  Green  Hills,  at  which 
conference  I  was  admitted  on  trial,  and  appointed  to  West 
New  River  circuit,  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Kanawha 
river,  in  the  state  of  Virginia.  On  my  way  to  iny  ap- 
pointment I  stopped  at  home  a  few  days,  and  having  fur- 
nished myself  with  several  suits  of  clothes,  I  started  all 
alone  for  the  west,  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  at  the  Flower 
Gap,  entered  the  circuit  at  brother  Forbes's,  on  what  was 
called  the  Glades,  lying  between  the  Blue  Ridge  and  New 
river.  This  was  about  the  first  of  February,  1792.  This 
was  a  four  weeks'  circuit,  and  between  four  and  five  hun- 
dred miles  round.  It  extended  in  length  from  the  three 
forks  of  New  river,  over  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  on  the 
waters  of  Roanoke;  and  from  north  to  south  from  Walk- 
er's creek  to  the  Glades,  near  the  Blue  llidge.  The 
country  is  very  mountainous,  high  and  cold;  and  in 
Montgomery,  Wythe,  and  Grayson  counties  it  is  too  cold 
to  produce  Indian  corn  with  any  degree  of  certainty. 
Rye  was  produced  in  great  abundance. 

The  first  preachers  that  visited  that  country  was  in  the 
year  1783.  It  was  then  called  the  Holston  country. 
The  head  waters  of  the  South  Fork  of  the  Holston  ex- 
tended as  far  east  as  Wythc  and  the  borders  of  Grayson 
counties,  extending  west  as  far  as  the  Three  Islands.  In 
this  tract  of  country  the  first  preachers  began  their  opera- 
tions. They  were  Jeremiah  Lambert,  Henry  Willis,  Mark 
Whitaker,  Mark  More,  and  Reuben  Ellis,  the  elder. 
The  district  included  Salisbury  and  Yadkin  circuits,  in 
North  Carolina,  and  Holston  in  the  west.  In  1787  the 
Holston  circuit  was  divided  into  two  circuits,  Holston 
and  Nolachucky,  and  Philip  Bruce  appointed  elder. 
Two  new  preachers  were  sent — Jeremiah  Masten  and 
Thomas  Ware — in  1788.  Two  new  circuits  were  made 
out  of  the  old  ones  this  year;  the  Holston  circuit,  em- 
bracing all  the  settlements  on  the  East  and  North  Forks  of 


WE8TEBN   METHODISM.  29 

Holston,  and  all  the  settlements  on  the  Clinch  river, 
including  the  counties  of  Washington  and  Russell,  in 
Virginia,  and  Blount  county,  in  the  Western  territory. 
French  Broad  included  all  the  settlements  west  and  south 
of  the  main  Holston  to  the  frontiers  bordering  on  the 
Cherokee  nation.  West  New  river  was  this  year  made  a 
circuit,  and  Greenbriar  added,  which  was  composed  of 
the  new  settlements  on  Greenbriar  river,  and  part  of 
the  head  waters  of  the  James  river;  Edward  Morris 
elder. 

In  1789  John  Tunel  was  presiding  elder  and  Bottetourt 
circuit  added.  In  1790  two  districts  were  formed;  one  was 
composed  of  West  New  River,  Russell,  Holston,  and  Green 
circuits — Charles  Hardy  presiding  elder.  This  year  John 
M'Gee  and  John  West  were  on  Green  circuit;  John  West 
is  still  living  in  the  bounds  of  the  Pittsburg  conference. 
Bottetourt,  Greenbriar,  and  Kanawha  circuits — Jeremiah 
Able  presiding  elder.  This  year  the  Little  Kanawha  cir- 
cuit was  formed,  and  Jacob  Lurton  was  the  preacher  in 
charge.  In  1793  he  was  on  Salt  River  circuit,  Kentucky, 
and  married  a  Miss  Tooley,  on  Bear  Grass,  Jefferson 
county,  and  located,  and  for  many  years  lived  on  Floyd's 
Fork  of  Salt  river.  He  was  an  original  genius,  and  a  use- 
ful preacher.  In  1791  Mark  Whitaker  was  presiding 
elder,  and  Charles  Hardy  and  John  West  were  on  the 
West  New  River  circuit.  Charles  Hardy  located  this 
year,  and  the  latter  part  of  the  year  I  succeeded  him. 
John  West  remained  with  me  on  the  circuit  till  the  Hol- 
eton  conference,  on  the  15th  of  May,  1792.  Nothing 
material  transpired  while  on  this  circuit.  The  state  of 
religion  was  at  a  low  ebb  in  all  the  circuits.  Most  of  the 
preachers  had  not  been  much  in  the  work  for  several 
years,  and  Discipline  had  been  much  neglected.  Mr. 
Asbury,  on  his  return  from  the  Kentucky  conference,  met 
the  conference  at  Huffaker's,  Rich  Valley  of  Holston,  on 

3* 


30  SKETCHES    OF 

the  15th  April,  ll'J'2.  Hope  Hull,  who  had  accompanied 
him  from  Georgia,  aud  Wilson  Lee,  who  was  now  return- 
ing from  Kentucky,  and  accompanying  the  Bishop  on  to 
the  east,  were  with  him.  Both  preached  at  this  confer- 
ence with  great  success.  General  William  llussell,  who 
had  married  the  widow  of  General  Campbell,  and  sister 
of  Patrick  Henry,  who  had  embraced  religion,  together 
with  his  amiable  lady,  and  who  lived  at  the  salt-works,  on 
the  North  Fork  of  Holstou,  attended  this  conference 
and  accommodated  a  number  of  the  preachers.  Upon 
the  whole,  we  had  a  good  time  for  those  days.  Stephen 
Brooks,  from  the  Kentucky  conference,  was  appointed  to 
Green  circuit,  in  charge,  and  I  was  appointed  with  him, 
and  Barnabas  M' Henry,  who  came  also  with  the  Bishop 
from  Kentucky,  was  the  presiding  elder.  We  had  an 
entire  set  of  new  preachers  for  the  whole  district — Sala- 
thiel  Weeks  and  James  Ward  on  the  Holston  circuit, 
both  from  Virginia;  David  Haggard,  Daniel  Lockett, 
and  Jeremiah  Norman,  from  North  Carolina.  Brother 
Norman  was  on  Russell,  and  brothers  Haggard  and 
Lockett  on  West  New  River.  The  presiding  elder  and 
all  the  preachers  entered  into  a  covenant  to  attend 
strictly  to  the  Discipline.  When  brother  Brooks  and 
myself  arrived  at  our  charge,  which  was  in  a  few  days 
after  the  conference  rose,  we  mutually  agreed  to  enforce 
the  rules  of  the  society;  and  by  midsummer  we  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  a  gracious  work  in  many  places  on 
the  circuit. 

A  very  peculiar  circumstance  took  place  some  time  in 
July.  On  Nolachucky  there  was  a  rich  and  thickly- 
settled  neighborhood,  which  afterward  went  by  the  name 
of  Earnest's  neighborhood.  There  was  but  one  Methodist 
in  the  neighborhood,  the  wife  of  Felix  Earnest,  who 
attended  preaching  when  she  could,  being  about  five  or 
six  miles  distant  from  the  appointment.  Felix  was  a 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  31 

very  wicked  man.  Being  one  day  at  a  distillery,  and 
partially  intoxicated,  the  Spirit  of  God  arrested  him. 
He  immediately  went  home,  and  inquired  of  his  wife  if 
she  knew  of  any  Methodist  meeting  any  where  on  that 
day.  It  happened  to  be  the  day  that  brother  Brooks 
preached,  in  the  adjoining  neighborhood,  and  he  imme- 
diately put  off  for  the  meeting.  He  arrived  there  after 
meeting  had  begun,  and  stood  in  the  door,  with  his  shirt- 
collar  open,  and  his  face  red,  and  the  tears  streaming 
down  his  cheeks.  He  invited  brother  Brooks  to  bring 
preaching  into  the  neighborhood.  He  did  so,  and  in  two 
weeks  I  came  round  and  preached  to  a  good  congregation. 
The  word  of  God  had  free  course,  and  was  glorified. 
The  whole  family  of  the  Earnests  was  brought  into  the 
Church,  with  many  others,  and  by  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember we  had  a  large  society  formed.  I  left  the  circuit 
in  September,  but  the  work  continued.  In  a  short  time 
they  built  a  meeting-house;  and  in  the  spring  of  1795  the 
Western  conference  had  their  annual  sitting  at  the  meet- 
ing-house, and  Felix  was  a  local  preacher.  Our  second 
quarterly  meeting  was  in  the  beginning  of  August,  at  the 
Pine  Chapel,  south  of  the  French  Broad  river,  and  below 
the  mouth  of  Little  Pigeon  river.  It  was  a  good  time. 
It  was  given  up  by  all  that  it  was  the  best  love-feast  that 
they  had  ever  seen.  On  my  next  round,  which  was  in 
September,  the  Cherokee  war  was  just  breaking  out. 
After  I  crossed  the  French  Broad  and  Little  rivers,  and 
arrived  at  the  extreme  point  of  the  settlement,  I  found 
the  inhabitants  in  a  state  of  alarm  on  account  of  the  war. 
I  preached  that  day,  and  at  night  the  whole  neighbor- 
hood collected,  bringing  intelligence  that  the  Indians 
were  in  the  settlement.  In  the  morning  I  started  for  my 
next  appointment,  on  the  south  bank  of  Little  river, 
having  a  guard  of  two  brothers,  who  piloted  me  through 
the  woods  part  of  the  way;  but  becoming  alarmed  for 


32  SKETCHES    OF 

the  safety  of  their  families,  left  me  to  make  the  best  of 
my  way.  I  arrived  a  little  before  noon,  but  found  it 
would  be  impossible  to  collect  a  congregation.  The  peo- 
ple were  moving  in  and  concentrating  at  a  certain  point, 
for  the  purpose  of  fortifying,  and  by  night  we  were  the 
frontier  house.  After  dark  the  lights  were  all  put  out, 
and  each  one  sat  down  with  his  gun  on  his  lap.  One  of 
the  company  started  about  nine  o'clock  to  go  where  the 
Indians  were  collected  for  fortifying;  but  soon  returned, 
and  said  the  Indians  were  plenty  in  the  neighborhood. 
I  immediately  determined  to  make  my  journey  to  the 
next  preaching-place,  which  was  about  ten  miles,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  travel  under  cover  of  the  night ;  but  I  had 
one  difficulty  to  encounter,  having  nothing  but  a  small 
path,  and  the  river  to  cross,  and  an  island  to  reach  in  the 
river.  The  night  was  dark,  and  the  timber  very  thick  on 
the  island,  and  I  could  not  prevail  on  any  of  them  to 
leave  the  house  or  give  me  any  assistance;  however,  I 
put  my  trust  in  God  and  set  off.  After  having  passed 
the  first  part  of  the  river  I  alighted  from  my  horse,  and 
undertook  to  keep  the  path  on  foot.  I  succeeded  beyond 
my  expectation,  reached  the  shore  at  the  proper  point, 
and  proceeded  without  meeting  with  any  difficulty. 
About  two  o'clock  I  arrived  at  the  house,  where  my 
appointment  was  for  that  day,  proceeded  to  the  door,  and 
sought  admittance,  but  found  no  inmates.  I  knew  there 
were  cabins  on  the  opposite  side  of  a  marsh,  and  I  com- 
menced hallooing  as  loud  as  I  could.  I  soon  brought 
some  of  them  out,  who  wished  to  know  who  I  was,  and 
what  I  wanted.  They  suspected  that  the  Indians  wished 
to  decoy  them,  and  were  preparing  to  give  me  a  warm  re- 
ception of  powder  and  lead,  when  the  lady,  at  whose  house 
we  preached,  came  out  and  knew  my  voice.  They  then 
came  over  and  conducted  me  to  the  place  where  the  whole 
neighborhood  was  collected,  and  the  next  day  I  recrossed 


WESTEKN    METHODISM.  33 

the  French  Broad  river,  which  placed  me  beyond  the 
reach  of  danger.  I  passed  up  through  the  circuit,  leav- 
ing the  frontier  appointments  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river,  which  were  Pine  Chapel,  Little  and  Big  Pigeon. 
The  first  intelligence  I  had  from  that  quarter  was,  that 
all  the  inhabitants  iii  the  neighborhood  of  the  Pine 
Chapel  were  massacred  in  one  night  by  the  Indians. 

The  first  General  conference  in  the  United  States  met 
late  in  the  fall  of  this  year.  The  presiding  elder  and  S. 
Weeks,  from  the  Ilolston  circuit,  both  left  for  the  Gen- 
eral conference;  and  the  presiding  elder  moved  me  from 
Green  circuit  and  put  me  in  charge  of  the  Holston,  and 
sent  brother  J.  Ward  to  fill  my  place.  Brother  Ward 
had  but  moderate  talents,  but  was  a  devoted  and  good 
man;  and  through  his  instrumentality  good  was  done  on 
the  Holston  circuit.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  Salt- 
Works  a  number  had  been  added  to  the  Church.  Among 
the  number  was  the  heiress,  Miss  Sally  Campbell,  daugh- 
ter of  General  Campbell,  who  distinguished  himself  at 
the  battle  of  King's  Mountain.  Her  mother,  Mrs.  Rus- 
sell, had,  for  some  time,  been  a  member  of  the  Church, 
and  was  among  the  most  excellent  ones  of  the  earth. 
Late  in  the  fall  of  this  year  General  Ilussell  and  family 
made  a  visit  to  the  eastern  part  of  Virginia,  among  their 
old  friends  and  relations.  The  General  was  taken  sick 
and  died.  His  daughter,  Chloe  Ilussell,  had  just  married 
a  circuit  preacher  by  the  name  of  Hubbard  Saunders. 
During  their  visit  Miss  Sarah  Campbell  was  .married  to 
Francis  Preston,  Esq.,  of  Virginia,  whose  son  is  now 
senator  in  Congress  from  South  Carolina.  The  surviving 
part  of  the  family  did  not  return  during  my  stay  on  the 
circuit.  We  had  some  good  times  on  our  field  of  labor, 
at  Baker's,  near  the  Three  Islands,  and  at  AcufFs.  1 
remained  on  the  circuit  till  Christmas,  when,  by  the 
direction  of  the  presiding  elder,  brother  Norman  and 


34:  S  K  E  T  C II K  S    O  F 

myself  changed,  and  I  was  on  Clinch  circuit.  Tins  was  a 
frontier  circuit,  the  whole  north  side  of  it  being  exposed 
to  the  savages.  On  this  circuit  I  first  began  to  eat  bear- 
meat,  and  buffalo  tongues.  I  entered  this  circuit  with  a 
determination,  by  the  help  of  God,  to  have  a  revival  of 
religion,  and  in  some  degree  succeeded.  It  was  a  three 
weeks'  circuit,  and  I  was  alone,  without  even  a  local 
preacher  to  help  me.  Through  the  winter  we  had  a  con- 
siderable revival  at  Elk  Garden,  head  of  Clinch  river,  at 
Bickley's  Station,  and  at  several  other  preaching-places. 
On  the  last  Saturday  and  Sunday  in  March,  1798,  we 
held  our  quarterly  meeting  at  Bickley's  Station.  We  had 
a  good  time.  During  the  past  year  we  had  many  conflicts, 
a  new  country  Indian  warfare  going  on  all  the  winter  on 
our  southern  borders.  The  preachers  had  received  about 
enough  quarterage  to  keep  soul  and  body  together.  On 
Monday  morning,  after  the  quarterly  meeting,  I  started 
for  the  annual  conference,  which  met  on  the  third  day  of 
April.  We  met  Bishop  Asbury  and  William  Spencer, 
from  the  Virginia  conference,  and  Henry  Hill,  from 
North  Carolina.  The  conference  business  concluded  on 
Saturday;  Sunday  was  taken  up  in  preaching;  and  on 
Monday  morning  we  started  for  Kentucky.  Several  of 
our  friends  volunteered  to  guide  us  through  the  wilder- 
ness. Francis  Asbury,  Barnabas  M' Henry,  Henry  Hill, 
James  Ward,  and  William  Burke  were  all  the  preachers. 
These,  together  with  some  who  met  us  at  Bean's  Station, 
on  Holston,  made  our  company  up  to  sixteen.  We  were 
all  pretty  well  armed  except  the  Bishop.  It  was  about 
one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  through  the  wilderness, 
with  but  one  house  in  Powell's  Valley,  where  we  staid 
the  first  night.  Next  morning,  by  sunrise,  we  crossed 
Cumberland  Mountain,  and  entered  into  the  bosom  of  the 
wilderness. 

I  will  here  introduce  a  plan  that  Mr.  Asbury  suggested 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  35 

before  we  left  the  settlements.  It  was  to  make  a  tope 
long  enough  to  tie  to  the  trees  all  around  the  camp  when 
we  stopped  at  night,  except  a  small  passage  for  us  to 
retreat,  should  the  Indians  surprise  us ;  the  rope  to  be  so 
fixed  as  to  strike  the  Indians  below  the  knee,  in  which 
case  they  would  fall  forward,  and  we  would  retreat  into 
the  dark  and  pour  in  a  fire  upon  them  from  our  rifles. 
We  accordingly  prepared  ourselves  with  the  rope,  and 
placed  it  on  our  pack-horse.  We  had  to  pack  on  the 
horses  we  rode  corn  sufficient  to  feed  them  for  three  days, 
and  our  own  provisions,  beside  our  saddle-bags  of  olothes. 
Through  the  course  of  the  day  nothing  material  transpired 
till  very  late  in  the  afternoon,  say  less  than  an  hour  before 
sunset,  when  passing  up  a  stony  hollow  from  Kichland 
creek,  at  the  head  of  which  was  the  war-path  from  the 
northern  Indians  to  the  southern  tribes,  we  heard,  just 
over  the  point  of  a  hill,  a  noise  like  a  child  crying  in 
great  distress.  We  soon  discovered  there  were  Indians 
there,  and  the  reason  why  they  used  that  stratagem  to 
decoy  us  was,  that  a  few  days  before  they  had  defeated  a 
company,  known  for  a  long  time  as  M'Farland's  defeat,  and 
a  number  were  killed,  and  several  children  supposed  to  be 
lost  in  the  woods.  We  immediately  put  whip  to  our  horses, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  crossed  the  ridge  and  descended  to 
Camp  creek  about  sunset,  when  we  called  a  halt  to  con- 
sult on  what  was  best  to  be  done ;  and  on  putting  it  to 
vote  whether  we  proceed  on  our  journey,  every  one  was 
for  proceeding  but  one  of  the  preachers,  who  said  it 
would  kill  his  horse  to  travel  that  night.  The  Bishop  all 
this  time  was  sitting  on  his  horse  in  silence,  and  on  the 
vote  being  taken  he  reined  up  his  steed  and  said,  "  Kill 
man  kill  horse,  kill  horse  first ;"  and  in  a  few  minutes  we 
made  our  arrangements  for  the  night.  The  night  being 
dark,  and  nothing  but  a  narrow  path,  we  appointed  two  to 
proceed  in  front,  to  lead  the  way  and  keep  the  path,  and 


36  SKETCHES    OF 

two  as  a  rear  guard,  to  keep  some  distance  behind  and 
bring  intelligence  every  half  hour,  that  we  might  know 
whether  they  were  in  pursuit  of  us;  for  we  could  not  go 
faster  than  a  walk.  They  reported  that  they  were  follow- 
ing us  till  near  twelve  o'clock.  We  were  then  on  the 
Big  Laurel  river.  We  agreed  to  proceed,  and  alighted 
from  our  horses  and  continued  on  foot  till  daybreak,  when 
we  arrived  at  the  Hazel  Patch,  where  we  stopped  and 
fed  our  horses,  and  took  some  refreshment.  We  were 
mounted,  and  on  our  journey  by  the  rising  of  the  sun; 
but  by  this  time  we  were  all  very  much  fatigued,  and  we 
yet  had  at  least  between  forty  and  fifty  miles  before  us  for 
that  day.  That  night  about  dark  we  arrived  at  our  good 
friend  Willis  Green's,  near  Stanford,  Lincoln  court-house, 
having  been  on  horseback  nearly  forty  hours,  and  having 
traveled  about  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  in  that  time. 
I  perfectly  recollect  that  at  supper  I  handed  my  cup  for 
a  second  cup  of  tea,  and  before  it  reached  me  I  was  fast 
asleep,  and  had  to  be  waked  up  to  receive  it.  Part  of  us 
remained  at  Mr.  Green's  over  Sunday,  and  preached  at 
several  places  in  the  neighborhood.  The  Bishop  and 
brother  M'Henry  proceeded  on  next  morning  to  attend  a 
quarterly  meeting  at  brother  Francis  Clark's,  on  the 
waters  of  Salt  river,  six  miles  west  of  Danville. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1793,  the  conference  met  at 
Masterson's  Station.  Preachers  present,  Francis  Asbury, 
bishop ;  Francis  Poythress,  Henry  Burchet,  Jacob  Lur- 
ton,  James  Ward,  John  Page,  John  Ball,  Richard  Bird, 
Benjamin  Northcott,  and  William  Burke.  Barnabas 
M'Henry,  from  the  Holston  district,  and  Henry  Hill, 
who  traveled  with  Bishop  Asbury,  were  also  present. 
Nine  preachers  in  all  for  Kentucky  and  Cumberland 
included,  Nashville  and  the  three  counties  of  Davidson, 
Sumner,  and  Robinson,  including  a  few  settlements  in 
Kentucky,  in  the  neighborhood  where  Russelville  is  now 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  87 

situated.  We  received  our  appointments  at  the  close  of 
the  conference,  and  separated  in  love  and  harmony.  I 
was  this  year  appointed  to  Danville  circuit,  in  charge, 
and  John  Page  as  helper.  We  entered  upon  our  work 
with  a  determination  to  use  our  best  endeavors  to  pro- 
mote the  Redeemer's  kingdom.  The  circuit  was  in  but  a 
poor  condition.  Discipline  had  been  very  much  neg- 
lected, and  numbers  had  their  names  on  the  class-papers 
who  had  not  met  their  class  for  months.  We  applied 
ourselves  to  the  discharge  of  our  duty  and  enforced  the 
Discipline,  and,  during  the  course  of  the  summer,  dis- 
posed of  upward  of  one  hundred.  We  had  some  few  ad- 
ditions, but,  under  God,  laid  the  foundation  for  a  glorious 
revival,  the  next  and  following  years.  The  bounds  and 
extent  of  this  circuit  were  large,  including  the  counties  of 
Mercer,  Lincoln,  Garrard,  and  Madison ;  the  west  part  of 
the  circuit  included  the  head  waters  of  Salt  river,  and 
Chaplin  on  the  north,  bounded  by  Kentucky  river  south 
and  east,  and  extended  as  far  as  the  settlements — taking 
four  weeks  to  perform  the  round.  There  were  three  log 
meeting-houses  in  the  circuit;  one  in  Madison  county, 
called  Proctor's  Chapel;  one  in  the  forks  of  Dix  river, 
Garrett's  meeting-house;  and  one  on  Shoenea  run,  called 
Shoney  run.  Not  far  from  Harrod's  Station,  in  Mercer 
county,  during  the  course  of  this  year,  a  new  meeting- 
house was  erected  in  Garrard  county,  considered  the  best 
meeting-house  in  the  country,  and  they  named  it  Burke's 
Chapel.  I  remained  on  Danville  circuit  till  the  first  of 
April,  1794,  and  on  the  fifteenth  our  conference  com- 
menced at  Louis's  Chapel,  in  Jessamine  county,  in  the 
bounds  of  Lexington. 

Previous  to  the  meeting  of  the  conference  we  raised  a 
company  of  twelve  persons  to  proceed  to  the  seat  of  the 
conference,  for  the  purpose  of  guarding  Bishop  Asbury 
through  the  wilderness.  We  met  a  company  at  the 


38  SKETCHES    OF 

Crab  Orchard,  the  place  where  we  usually  met  by  adver- 
tisement, circulated  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  a  suffi- 
cient number  for  mutual  protection  against  the  Indians. 
The  company,  when  assembled,  consisted  of  about  sixty, 
all  well  armed.  We  organized  that  night,  and  I  was  ap- 
pointed commander.  In  the  morning,  all  things  being 
in  readiness  for  our  departure,  we  proceeded  through  the 
wilderness.  The  clay  previous  there  had  started  a  large 
company,  and  among  the  number  there  were  four  preach- 
ers, two  Baptist  and  two  Dunkards.  The  company,  with 
whom  they  traveled,  had  treated  them  in  such  an  ungen- 
tlemanly  and  unchristian  manner  during  the  first  day  and 
night,  that  on  the  morning  of  the  second  day  they  all 
four  started  in  advance,  and  had  not  proceeded  more  than 
one  mile  before  they  were  surprised  by  a  party  of  Indi- 
ans, and  all  four  killed  and  scalped,  and  their  horses  and 
all  they  had  taken  off  by  the  Indians.  We  camped  the 
first  night  not  far  from  Big  Laurel  river,  and  next  morn- 
ing passed  the  place  where  the  dead  bodies  of  the  preach- 
ers were  thrown  into  a  sink-hole  and  covered  in  part  with 
some  logs,  and  the  wild  beasts  had  torn  and  mangled 
them  in  the  most  shocking  manner.  That  day  we  crossed 
the  Cumberland  river,  and  passed  up  the  narrows  to  Tur- 
key creek,  and  camped  on  the  bank.  I  had  not  slept  on 
any  of  the  two  preceding  nights,  and  that  night  I  intended 
to  take  a  good  sleep.  Accordingly,  after  placing  out  the 
sentinels  and  securing  my  horse,  I  spread  my  saddle- 
blanket  and  my  saddle  and  saddle-bags  for  my  pillow,  and 
laid  me  down  close  to  my  horse,  and  was,  in  a  few  min- 
utes, sound  asleep.  It  was  not  an  hour  before  the  com- 
pany was  alarmed.  Some  said  they  heard  Indians,  others 
affirmed  that  they  heard  them  when  cutting  cane  for  their 
horses,  and  heard  their  dogs  barking  at  their  camp  up 
the  creek;  and  before  they  awakened  me  the  greater  part 
of  the  company  were  on  their  horses  and  had  left  the 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  39 

sentinels  at  their  posts.  Such  was  the  paiiic  that  I  im- 
mediately harnessed  up  my  horse  and  mounted  him,  and 
had  the  guards  brought  in.  The  night  was  very  dark, 
and  we  had  to  cross  the  creek  immediately.  The  bank 
was  very  steep,  and  we  had  to  cross  in  Indian  file;  and 
before  all  passed  over  the  bank  became  very  slippery,  and 
the  horses  would  get  nearly  to  the  top  and  slide  back 
into  the  creek  agaiu.  I  was  in  front,  and  the  word  would 
pass  along  the  line,  "  Halt  in  front."  At  length  all  got 
safely  over,  and  we  proceeded  about  four  miles  to  Cannon 
creek.  The  night  being  very  dark,  and  finding  great 
difficulty  to  keep  the  path,  I  ordered  a  halt,  and  directed 
every  man  to  turn  out  to  the  left  and  alight  and  hold  his 
horse  by  the  bridle.  They  accordingly  did  so,  and  I  threw 
the  reins  of  my  bridle  over  niy  arm  and  laid  down  at  the 
root  of  a  beech-tree,  and  was  soon  asleep.  I  had  previ- 
ously given  orders  that  we  should  form  one  hour  before 
daybreak  and  be  on  the  road,  in  order  to  elude  the  Indi- 
ans, should  they  be  in  pursuit  of  us.  We  did  so,  and 
crossed  the  Cumberland  Mountains  early  in  the  morning, 
and  that  night  arrived  at  Bean's  Station,  near  the  Hol- 
ston  river,  where  we  met  the  intelligence  that  Bishop 
Asbury,  in  consequence  of  ill  health,  could  not  attend 
the  conference  in  Kentucky. 

A  large  collection  of  emigrants  was  already  met  for  the 
purpose  of  crossing  the  wilderness.  The  number  was 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty,  together  with  a  great 
number  of  pack-horses.  On  the  next  morning  we  started 
in  Indian  file,  pack-horses  and  all,  making  a  line  about  a 
mile  in  length.  It  was  determined  by  the  company  that 
the  guard  which  had  come  through  to  meet  the  Bishop 
should  bring  up  the  rear.  Nothing  transpired  through 
the  course  of  the  first  day  or  night  worthy  of  notice. 
Early  on  the  second  day  we  came  to  the  ford  of  the  Cum- 
berland river;  it  was  very  much  swollen,  and  when  the 


40  SKETCHES    OF 

front  of  the  company  arrived  at  the  bank  of  the  river,  a 
party  of  Indians  being  on  the  opposite  shore  tired  upon 
them;  but  the  distance  was  such  that  no  injury  was  done. 
None  had  courage  to  attempt  crossing  over,  and  when  we, 
who  were  in  the  rear,  came  up,  the  whole  company  was 
crowded  together,  and  many,  both  men  and  women,  were 
as  pale  as  death,  and  some  weeping,  not  knowing  what 
course  to  take.  I  immediately  called  out  for  volunteers, 
who  would  venture  to  cross  the  river.  Out  of  the  whole 
company  we  could  only  get  eleven  to  undertake  the  haz- 
ardous duty.  On  our  arriving  at  the  opposite  bank  we 
alighted  from  our  horses  and  took  trees  and  awaited  the 
approach  of  the  Indians.  None  appearing  we  proceeded 
to  the  top  of  the  bank;  finding  the  course  clear  we  beck- 
oned them  to  proceed  crossing,  while  we  stood  guard. 
No  accident  occurred  through  the  remainder  of  that  day. 
At  night  we  encamped  in  an  unfavorable  position — a 
heavy  thunder-shower  passing  over  us  forced  us  to  stop. 
In  that  situation,  after  we  had  tied  up  our  horses  and 
built  up  our  fires,  we  proceeded  to  place  out  the  guards, 
when  many  who  had  not  been  used  to  such  fatigue  made 
themselves  as  comfortable  as  the  nature  of  things  would 
admit,  and  laid  down  to  rest.  I  found  from  the  manner 
in  which  the  horses  behaved  that  Indians  were  about 
with  the  intention  of  stealing  some  of  our  horses.  Con- 
sequently, I  kept  on  my  feet  the  whole  night,  passing 
round  and  through  the  camp.  The  night  passed  off  with- 
out any  interruption.  The  third  day  at  night  we  arrived 
at  the  Crab  Orchard,  and  on  the  fourth  day  I  proceeded 
to  the  conference  at  Louis's  Chapel.  We  had  at  this  an 
increase  of  two  preachers — John  Metcalf,  who  had  come 
through  the  wilderness  with  us  from  the  Virginia  confer- 
ence, and  Thomas  Scott,  now  Judge  Scott,  of  Chilicothe, 
from  the  Baltimore  conference.  The  presiding  elder,  F. 
Poythress,  presided  in  the  conference.  The  business 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  41 

having  been  gone  through,  I  was  dispatched  to  the  Vir- 
ginia conference  with  the  proceedings  of  our  conference, 
and  to  receive  deacon's  orders.  The  conference  met  at 
Joseph  Mitchel's,  on  James  river.  Here  we  met  Mr. 
Asbury,  who  had  partly  recovered  from  his  sickness. 

At  this  conference,  which  was  held  on  the  26th  May,  I 
received  my  appointment  on  Hinkston  circuit,  Kentucky. 
This  circuit  included  Clark  county,  Bourbon,  and  Mont- 
gomery; bounded  on  the  north  and  east  by  the  frontier 
settlements,  on  the  south  by  the  Kentucky  river,  and  on 
the  west  by  Lexington  circuit.  It  was  a  three  weeks'  cir- 
cuit, that  had  been  taken  off  from  Lexington ;  here  I  was 
alone.  At  my  first  quarterly  meeting  I  was  removed  to 
Salt  River  circuit — the  preacher  having  left — and  put  in 
charge.  Here  I  remained  two  quarters  under  very  em- 
barrassed circumstances,  it  being  the  summer  of  Wayne's 
campaign,  and  great  numbers  were  out  in  the  service. 
This  was  the  most  difficult  circuit  in  the  bounds  of  the 
conference.  It  was  a  four  weeks'  circuit,  and  between 
four  and  five  hundred  miles  round.  It  included  Wash- 
ington, Nelson,  Jefferson,  Shelby,  and  Green  counties; 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Kentucky  river,  on  the  east 
by  Danville  circuit,  on  the  south  by  the  frontier  settle- 
ments on  Green  river,  including  where  Greensburg  and 
Elizabethtown  are  now  situated,  and  on  the  west  by  the 
Ohio  river.  Nothing  worthy  of  record  occurred,  except 
hard  times.  I  was  reduced  to  the  last  pinch.  My 
clothes  were  nearly  all  gone.  I  had  patch  upon  patch 
and  patch  by  patch,  and  I  received  only  money  suffi- 
cient to  buy  a  waistcoat,  and  not  enough  of  that  to  pay 
for  the  making,  during  the  two  quarters  I  remained  on 
the  circuit.  After  the  second  quarterly  meeting  I  was 
changed,  by  the  presiding  elder,  to  Lexington  circuit. 
This  was  the  best  circuit  in  the  bounds  of  the  conference, 
both  for  numbers  and  liberality.  In  this  circuit  I  met 

4* 


42  SKETCHES    OF 

with  many  good  friends,  and  they  supplied  all  my  wants. 
Nothing  special  occurred  during  the  year.  Wayne's  ex- 
pedition having  ended,  the  people  returned  to  their 
homes  and  became  more  settled,  and  we  had  a  gradual 
increase  in  the  societies.  Lexington  was  a  four  weeks' 
circuit,  and  tolerably  compact.  It  contained  the  counties 
of  Fayette,  Jessamine,  Woodford,  Franklin,  Scott,  and 
Harrison;  bounded  on  the  east  and  north  by  Hinkston 
circuit,  on  the  west  by  the  frontiers.  Frankfort,  now  the 
seat  of  government,  was  then  a  frontier  station.  The 
southern  boundary  was  the  Kentucky  river,  which  is 
peculiar  for  the  high  cliffs  of  limestone  rocks,  which  pre- 
sent a  wild  and  grand  appearance,  in  many  places  from 
four  to  five  hundred  feet  high. 

In  the  county  of  Jessamine,  situated  on  the  cliffs,  was 
Bethel  Academy,  built  entirely  by  subscriptions  raised  on 
the  circuits.  One  hundred  acres  of  land  was  given  by 
Mr.  Lewis,  as  the  site  for  the  Academy.  The  project 
originated  with  Mr.  Asbury,  Francis  Poythress,  Isaac 
Hite,  of  Jefferson;  Colonel  Hinde,  of  Nelson;  Willis 
Green,  of  Lincoln;  Richard  Masterson,  of  Fayette;  and 
Mr.  Lewis,  of  Jessamine.  A  spacious  building  was 
erected,  I  think  eighty  by  forty  feet,  three  stories  high. 
The  design  was  to  accommodate  the  students  in  the  house 
with  boarding,  etc.  The  first  and  second  stories  were 
principally  finished  and  a  spacious  hall  in  the  center. 
The  building  of  this  house  rendered  the  pecuniary  means 
of  the  preachers  very  uncertain;  for  they  were  contin- 
ually employed  in  begging  for  Bethel.  The  people  were 
very  liberal,  but  they  could  not  do  more  than  they  did. 
The  country  was  new,  and  the  unsettled  state  of  the  peo- 
ple, in  consequence  of  the  Indian  wars  and  depredations, 
kept  the  country  in  a  continual  state  of  agitation.  The 
Legislature,  at  an  early  period,  made  a  donation  of  six 
thousand  acres  of  land  to  Bethel  Academy.  The  land 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  43 

was  located  in  Christian  county,  south  of  Green  river, 
and  remained  a  long  time  unproductive;  and  while  I  con- 
tinued a  trustee,  till  1804,  it  remained  rather  a  bill  of 
expense  than  otherwise.  In  1803  I  was  appointed  by  the 
Western  conference  to  attend  the  Legislature  and  obtain 
an  act  of  incorporation.  I  performed  that  duty,  and 
Bethel  was  incorporated,  with  all  the  powers  and  privi- 
leges of  a  literary  institution.  From  that  time  I  was 
removed  to  such  a  distance  that  my  connection  with  the 
Academy  ceased.  Rev.  Valentine  Cook  was  the  first  that 
organized  the  academical  department;  and  at  first  the 
prospect  was  flattering.  A  number  of  students  were  in 
attendance;  but  difficulties  occurred  which  it  would  be 
needless  to  mention,  as  all  the  parties  concerned  have 
gone  to  give  an  account  at  a  higher  tribunal ;  but  such 
was  the  effect  that  the  school  soon  declined,  and  brother 
Cook  abandoned  the  project. 

The  Rev.  John  Metcalf,  who  had  married  and  located, 
was  next  introduced,  and  kept  a  common  school  for  some 
time.  On  his  leaving  the  place  vacant,  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Harris  moved,  with  his  family,  and  occupied  the  building 
as  a  dwelling,  and  kept  a  school  for  the  neighborhood. 
On  his  leaving  the  premises,  it  was  soon  in  a  dilapidated 
state.  The  land  on  which  it  was  built  fell  into  the  hands 
of  Mr.  Lewis's  heirs,  the  house  was  taken  down,  so  that 
not  one  stone  was  left  upon  another,  and  the  whole  was 
transferred  to  Nicholasville,  and  incorporated  into  a 
county  academy,  which  is  still  in  operation;  but  the 
Methodist  Church  have  no  more  interest  in  it  than  other 
citizens  of  Jessamine  county. 

In  the  spring  of  1795  I  had  traveled  all  the  circuits  in 
Kentucky  except  Limestone.  This  circuit  lay  on  the 
north  side  of  Licking  river — a  considerable  wilderness 
intervening  between  Hinkston  and  Limestone  circuits. 
It  included  Mason  and  Fleming  counties.  It  was  a  small 


M  SKETCHES    OF 

circuit;  bounded  on  the  east,  south,  and  west  by  the 
frontier  settlements,  and  on  the  north  by  the  Ohio  river.  -'- 
Taking  it  all  in  all,  these  were  days,  in  the  west,  that/ 
tried  men's  souls.  From  the  time  that  the  first  Method-  v. 
ist  missionaries  entered  this  new  field  of  labor  up  to  this  r 
spring,  there  had  been  one  continued  Indian  war,  while 
the  whole  frontier,  east,  west,  north,  and  south,  had  been 
exposed  to  the  inroads  and  cruel  depredations  of  the 
merciless  savages.  This  spring — 1795 — was  the  noted 
Nickajack  expedition,  which  terminated  the  Cherokee 
war;  and  Wayne's  treaty  at  Greenville,  Ohio,  put  an  end 
to  the  Indian  wars,  and  the  whole  western  country,  for 
once,  had  peace.  There  is  one  thing  worthy  of  notice, 
and  that  is,  that  notwithstanding  the  constant  exposure 
the  traveling  preachers  were  subjected  to,  but  two  of  them 
fell  by  the  hands  of  the  savages,  and  both  of  them  by 
the  name  of  Tucker.  One  was  a  young  man,  descending 
the  Ohio  on  a  flatboat,  in  company  with  several  other 
boats — all  were  family  boats,  moving  to  Kentucky.  They 
were  attacked  by  the  Indians  near  the  mouth  of  Brush 
creek,  now  Adams  county,  Ohio.  Several  boats  were 
taken  possession  of  by  the  Indians,  the  inmates  massa- 
cred, and  the  property  taken  by  them.  Every  man  in 
the  boat  with  Tucker  was  killed,  and  Tucker  wounded 
mortally.  The  Indians  made  attempts  to  board  the  boat, 
but,  notwithstanding  he  was  wounded,  the  women  loaded 
the  guns  and  Tucker  kept  up  a  constant  fire  upon  them, 
and  brought  off  the  boat  safe;  but  before  they  landed  at 
Limestone  he  expired,  and  his  remains  quietly  repose 
somewhere  in  that  place.  Brother  James  O'Cull  assisted 
in  burying  him,  and  is  the  only  man  now  living  who 
could  designate  the  spot.  I  think  the  Kentucky  confer- 
ence should  erect  a  monument  to  his  memory.  The  other 
was  shot  near  a  station  south  of  Green  river,  not  far  from 
the  present  town  of  Greensburg. 


WE8TEKN    METHODISM.  45 

The  conference  for  the  year  1795  met  at  Ebenezer 
Earnest's  neighborhood,  on  Nolachucky,  the  last  week  in 
/^pril.  We  passed  through  the  wilderness  this  year 
Without  much  apprehension  of  danger.  The  most  of  the 
preachers  from  Kentucky  met  their  brethren  on  Holston 
district.  This  was  the  largest  annual  conference  we  had 
ever  seen  in  the  west.  Bishop  Asbury  attended,  and  it 
was  a  conference  of  considerable  interest.  At  this  con- 
ference I  was  ordained  to  the  office  of  an  elder.  My 
parchment  bears  date  30th  April,  1795,  Western  terri- 
tory. At  this  conference  I  was  requested  by  the  Bishop 
to  preach  the  ordination  sermon  for  the  deacons.  I  did 
so,  from  the  words  of  Paul  to  Timothy :  "  Study  to  shew 
thyself  approved  unto  God  a  workman  that  needeth  not 
to  be  ashamed,  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth."  We 
had  a  most  harmonious  and  blessed  time.  I  received 
my  appointment  this  year  to  Cumberland,  Mero  district, 
Western  territory.  The  circuit  included  Davidson,  Sum- 
ner,  and  Robinson  counties,  in  the  territory,  and  part  of 
Logan  county,  Kentucky,  lying  on  the  waters  of  Red 
river,  and  extending  out  to  the  neighborhood  where  Rus- 
selville  now  stands;  in  a  word,  it  included  all  the  settle- 
ments in  that  region  of  country.  In  order  to  reach  my 
destination  I  had  to  return  through  Kentucky,  and  to 
take  my  colleague,  who  was  a  young  man,  received  at  this 
conference,  by  the  name  of  Peter  Guthrie.  He  was  a 
man  of  deep  piety,  but  of  slender  preaching  abilities. 
We  made  the  best  of  our  way  for  Cumberland,  passed  on 
from  Lexington  through  Danville  circuit  and  Salt  River.; 
und  on  the  first  night  after  we  left  the  bounds  of  Salt 
River  circuit,  we  stopped  at  the  last  house,  on  the  edge 
of  the  barrens,  on  the  south  side  of  Green  river,  at  Side- 
iottom's  ferry.  After  we  had  put  our  horses  up  circum- 
Jtances  made  it  necessary,  by  an  occurrence  in  the  fam- 
.ly,  that  we  should  camp  out;  and  we  accordingly  made 


4:6  SKETCHES    OF 

our  fire  in  the  woods  and  laid  us  down  to  rest;  and,  all 
things  considered,  we  had  a  comfortable  night's  rest.  We 
now  had  a  vast  barren  track  to  pass  through  of  between 
eighty  and  ninety  mileSj  with  but  one  house — M'Fadden's 
Station,  on  Big  Barren  river,  not  far  from  where  Bowling 
Green  is  now  situated.  The  next  day  we  arrived  in  the 
settlement,  on  the  waters  of  Red  river.  On  the  follow- 
ing day  we  arrived  at  Nashville,  and  in  the  evening  at 
James  Hockett's,  about  two  miles  west  of  town.  lie  was 
a  rich  planter,  and  had  formerly  resided  in  the  Choctaw 
nation.  At  this  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  his  house  was  a  home  for  the  trav- 
eling preachers.  In  this  neighborhood  I  staid  several 
days,  and  collected  what  information  I  could  about  the 
Btate  of  the  circuit.  3Ioses  Speer,  one  of  the  preachers 
that  traveled  the  circuit  the  preceding  year,  and  had 
married  in  the  neighborhood  of  Nashville,  and  a  young 
man  by  the  name  of  Joseph  Dunn,  were  traveling  on  the 
circuit  when  we  arrived. 

On  inquiry  I  found  that  James  Haw,  who  was  one  of 
the  first  preachers  that  came  to  Kentucky,  had  located 
and  settled  in  Cumberland,  and  embraced  the  views  of 
0' Kelly,  and  by  his  influence  and  address  had  brought 
over  the  traveling  and  every  local  preacher  but  one  in 
the  country  to  his  views,  and  considerable  dissatisfaction 
had  obtained  in  many  of  the  societies.  Under  these 
circumstances  I  was  greatly  perplexed  to  know  what 
course  to  take — a  stranger  to  every  body  in  the  country, 
a  young  preacher,  and  Haw  an  old  and  experienced 
preacher,  well  known,  a  popular  man,  and  looked  up  to  as 
one  of  the  fathers  of  the  Church,  and  one  who  had  suf- 
fered much  in  planting  Methodism  in  Kentucky  and 
Cumberland.  After  much  reflection  and  prayer  to  Grod 
for  direction,  I  finally  settled  upon  the  following  plan; 
namely,  to  take  the  Discipline  and  examine  it  thoroughly, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  47 

selecting  all  that  was  objected  to  by  O'Kelly,  and  those 
who  adhered  to  him,  and  then  undertake  an  explanation 
and  defense  of  the  same.     I   accordingly   met    brother 
r  at  Nashville,  and  after  preaching  requested    the 
icty  to  remain,  aud  commenced  my  work.     When  I 
concluded  ray  defense,   I  took  the  vote  of  the  society 
and    they   unanimously   sustained    the    positions   I    had 
aken.     Brother  Speer  also  asked  the  privilege  of  mak- 
few  remarks.      He  stated  to  the  society  that  he 
would  consider  the  Church  as  a  house  that  he  lived  in  - 
and    notwithstanding   the  door  was  not  exactly  in   the 
)lace  he  should  like  it,  or  the  chimney  in  the  end  that 
t  pleased  him,  yet  he  could  not  throw  away  or  pull 
down   his  house   on    that   account;    and,    therefore,    he 
concluded   that  he  would   not  throw  away  the  Church 
although   some   things,   he  thought,  could  be  improved 
the  Ihscipline.     In  consequence  of  this  victory  on  my 
t  attempt,   I  took   courage,   and  proceeded  with  my 
>rk  in  every  society;  and,  to  my  utter  astonishment,  I 
ceeded  in  every  place,  and  saved  every  society  but  one 
small  class  on  lied  river,  where  a  local  preacher  lived  by 
e  name  of  Jonathan  Stevenson,  who  had  traveled  the 
rcuit  two  years  before,  and  located  in  that  neighbor- 
Haw  and  Stevenson  appointed  a  meeting  on  Red 
iver,  and  invited  the  Methodists  all  over  the  circuit  to 
tend  the   meeting,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  the 
new  Church.     The  result  was,  that  only  ten  or  twelve 
members  offered  themselves,  and  the  most  of  them  had 
•merly  belonged  to  the  Baptist  Church.     Having  failed 
n  every  attempt  to  break  up  the  societies,  the  next  step 
'  to  call  me  to  a  public  debate.     I  accepted  his  chal- 
ge,  and  the  day  was  appointed  to  meet  at  Station  Cap 
the  most  popular  neighborhoods,  and  convenient 
number  of  large  societies.     Notwithstanding  I  ac- 
the  challenge,  I  trembled  for  the  cause.     I  was 


48  SKETCHES    OF 

young  in  the  ministry,  and  inexperienced  in  that  kind 
of  debate.     He  was  an  old  minister,  of  long  experience, 
and  of  high  standing  in  the  community.     I  summoned 
up  all  my  courage,  and,  like  young  David  with  his  sling, 
I  went  forth  to  meet  the  Goliah.     The  day  arrived,  and  a 
great  concourse  of  people  attended.     The  preliminaries 
were  settled,  and  I  had  the  opening  of  the  debate.     The 
Lord  stood  by  me.     I  had  uncommon  liberty,  and  before 
I  concluded  many  voices  were  heard  in  the  congregation, 
saying,  "Give  us  the  old  way !"     Mr.  Haw  arose  to  make 
his  reply  very  much  agitated,  and  exhibited  a  very  bad 
temper,  being  very  much  confused.     He  made  some  state- 
ment that  called  from  me  a  denial,  and  the  people  rose 
up  to  sustain  me,  which  was  no  sooner  done  than  he  was 
so  confused  that  he  picked  up  his  saddle-bags  and  walked 
off,  and  made  no  reply.     This  left  me  in  possession  of  the 
whole   field,   and   from   that  hour  he   lost  his   influence 
among  the  Methodists,  and  his  usefulness  as  a  preacher. 
In  this  situation  he  remained  till  1801 ;  and  when  the 
great  revival  began  in  Tennessee  among  the  Presbyte- 
rians   and    Methodists,   he   connected    himself  with    the 
former,  and  ended  his  days  among  them  as  a  preacher. 
Benjamin  Ogden,  the  colleague  of  Haw  when  they  first 
came  to  Kentucky,  married  a  Miss  Easland,  on  Danville 
circuit,  and  located;    in  1792  or  1793  joined  O'Kelly. 
He  resided  in  Hardin  county,  Kentucky.     He  remained 
many  years  unconnected  with  any  Church  j  but  several 
years  before  his  death  became  again  connected  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  ended  his  days  among 
the  Methodists.      After  the  difficulties  with  Haw  sub- 
sided, we  had  a  considerable  revival  on  the  circuit,  and 
some  additions  to  the  societies,  and  every  thing  moved  on 
harmoniously.     On  the  ninth  day  of  January,  1796,  I  was 
married  to  Rachel  Cooper,  in  Sumner  county,  Tennessee. 
I  lost  but  one  single  appointment  in  consequence  of  my 


WESTEBN   METHODISM.  49 

marriage,  but  pursued  the  even  tenor  of  my  way.  The 
presiding  elder  never  once  visited  the  country  during  the 
whole  year.  A  few  weeks  after  I  was  married,  the  pre- 
siding elder  sent  down  a  preacher  to  relieve  me,  with 
directions  for  me  to  return  to  Kentucky.  I  immediately 
started,  and  visited  the  circuits  where  I  had  traveled  in 
Kentucky,  and  remained  between  five  and  six  weeks,  and 
then  returned  to  Tennessee,  where  I  remained  till  we 
started  for  conference,  about  the  tenth  of  April. 

The  conference  this  year  was  at  Nelson's,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Jonesboro,  Western  territory.  In  order 
to  reach  this  conference  we  had  a  long  and  tedious  jour- 
ney through  the  wilderness  of  upward  of  one  hundred 
miles,  without  a  house.  We  had  to  pack  on  our  horses 
the  provisions  necessary  for  ourselves  and  horses  for  three 
days  and  nights,  and  to  camp  out  in  the  open  air.  The 
company  consisted  of  James  Campbell  and  Joseph  Dunn, 
preachers,  myself  and  wife,  and  a  nephew  of  my  wife. 
The  last  night  we  encamped  we  were  very  apprehensive 
that  the  Indians  would  rob  us;  consequently,  some  of  us 
kept  awake  through  the  night;  but  we  had  no  interrup- 
tion, and  the  next  day  we  reached  the  settlement  in  the 
neighborhood  of  where  Knoxville  is  now  situated.  The 
day  after  we  entered  the  bounds  of  Green  circuit,  where 
I  had  traveled  in  the  year  1792,  and  were  now  among  our 
old  friends.  We  arrived  at  Nelson's  the  day  before  the 
conference  commenced,  and  met  Bishop  Asbury.  The 
business  of  the  conference  was  done  in  peace  and  har- 
mony. I  shall  always  remember  what  Mr.  Asbury  said 
while  my  character  was  under  examination  before  the  con- 
ference and  before  I  withdrew.  He  stated  to  the  confer- 
ence that  brother  Burke  had  accomplished  two  important 
things  the  past  year — "the  defeat  of  the  O'Kellyites,  and 
he  had  married  a  wife."  It  was  well  known  to  the 
preachers  in  those  days  that  Mr.  Asbury  did  not  approve 

5 


50  SKETCHES    OF      , 

of  their  marrying,  and  if  they  did  rnarry,  that  it  was 
necessary  to  locate;  but  notwithstanding  the  opposition 
of  the  preachers  and  people,  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  travel 
as  long  as  Providence  opened  my  way.  Accordingly,  I 
received  my  appointment  that  year  on  Guilford  circuit, 
North  Carolina.  I  immediately  proceeded  for  my  ap- 
pointment, my  wife  accompanying  me. 

We  arrived  in  the  bounds  of  the  circuit  about  the  first 
of  May.  I  made  my  home  at  my  father's,  near  the  High 
Rock  fcrd,  on  Haw  river,  Buckingham  county.  It  was  a 
year  of  great  distress  in  that  section  of  country.  For  the 
want  of  breadstuff's  numbers  perished  from  want.  As 
soon  as  the  fruit  could  be  eaten  the  people  resorted  to 
that  as  a  means  of  subsistence,  which  brought  on  the 
flux  and  other  complaints,  that  hurried  many  off  the  stage 
of  action.  During  the  summer  and  fall  we  had  some  con- 
siderable move  among  the  people  in  different  parts  of  the 
circuit,  and  some  additions  to  the  societies. 

In  the  beginning  of  October  I  left  the  circuit  to  attend 
the  second  General  conference,  which  assembled  at  Balti- 
more on  the  20th  of  October.  Dr.  Coke  and  Bishop 
Asbury  presided.  The  business  of  the  conference  was 
conducted  with  great  harmony.  At  this  conference  the 
Chartered  Fund  for  the  relief  of  the  superannuated  preach- 
ers, and  the  widows  and  orphans  of  preachers,  was  estab- 
lished by  a  rule  of  the  General  conference.  It  is,  per- 
haps, not  known  to  many  of  the  preachers  now  living 
how  the  funds  were  made  up  at  the  beginning  to  set  the 
institution  on  foot.  We  had  for  many  years  previous  a 
preachers'  fund  for  the  same  purpose.  This  fund  was 
created  by  a  payment  by  each  traveling  preacher,  when 
received  into  full  connection,  of  twenty  shillings,  and 
every  year  after,  at  the  annual  conference,  two  dollars. 
The  fund,  which  at  this  time  was  pretty  considerable,  was 
used  by  John  Dickens,  the  first  Book  Steward,  for  printing 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  51 

books  for  the  connection  in  America.  The  process  was 
as  follows :  The  money  was  used  to  pay  for  the  printing. 
The  books  were  sold  by  the  preachers,  and  the  principal 
was  returned  to  the  preachers'  fund,  and  the  profits  re- 
tained to  lay  the  foundation  for  a  book  fund.  At  this  Gen- 
eral conference  the  preachers'  fund  was  merged  into  the 
Chartered  Fund,  and  the  residue  was  raised  by -subscrip- 
tions and  donations  from  the  members.  In  this  way  orig- 
inated the  Charter  Fund  and  the  Book  Concern  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  these  United  States;  and 
this  was  brought  about  when  the  preacher's  allowance 
was  only  sixty-four  dollars,  including  all  his  presents  and 
marriage  fees. 

There  were  several  important  events  which  transpired 
this  year  in  the  bounds  of  Guilford  circuit  that  require 
a  passing  notice.  A  few  years  previous  brother  Simon 
Carlisle,  quite  a  talented  young  man,  was  stationed  on 
Caswell  circuit,  the  circuit  adjoining  Guilford.  He  had 
been  acceptable  and  useful,  and  completed  his  year  to 
the  satisfaction  of  all.  In  those  days  it  was  the  custom 
for  the  preacher  to  select  some  place  in  the  circuit  which 
he  considered  his  home,  where  he  deposited  for  safe- 
keeping his  surplus  books  and  clothes,  etc.  He  had 
made  his  home  at  a  brother  Harrison's,  not  far  from  Dunn 
river;  and  on  the  morning  he  was  about  to  leave  the  cir- 
cuit for  the  annual  conference,  he  packed  up  his  things  in 
his  saddle-bags,  and  left  them  in  his  room  unlocked,  and 
went  out  to  see  something  about  his  horse.  In  his 
absence  a  wicked  young  man,  son  of  brother  Harrison, 
put  a  pocket  pistol  into  his  saddle-bags.  On  his  return 
to  the  room,  without  making  any  examination,  he  locked 
his  saddle-bags,  and  left  for  conference.  When  he  ar- 
rived at  his  mother's,  on  the  way  to  conference,  on  taking 
his  things  out  of  his  saddle-bags  he  found  a  pocket  pistol. 
He  could  not  account  for  its  being  there;  but  leaving  it 


52  SKETCHES    OF 

he  proceeded  on  to  conference.  During  the  year  the 
pistol  was  taken  to  a  shop  on  the  road  to  have  some  re- 
pairs done  to  it,  and  a  person  passing  challenged  the  same 
as  being  the  pistol  of  young  Harrison,  and  the  same  was 
traced  to  brother  Carlisle.  At  the  next  annual  confer- 
ence, in  1794,  he  was  charged  with  the  fact  of  taking 
the  pistol,  and  excommunicated  from  the  Church,  and 
so  returned  on  the  Minutes  of  that  year.  During  the 
summer  of  1796  young  Harrison  was  taken  sick  and 
died;  but  just  before  his  death  he  made  a  full  confession 
of  his  having  put  the  pistol  into  the  saddle-bags  of 
brother  Carlisle,  with  the  intention  of  injuring  him;  and 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  restoring  brother  Carlisle  again  to 
the  bosom  of  the  Church,  to  his  great  joy.  He  has  re- 
mained a  minister  in  good  standing  ever  since,  and  has 
been  living  for  many  years  in  Middle  Tennessee,  and 
has  in  old  age  connected  himself  with  the  traveling  con- 
nection in  the  Tennessee  conference. 

On  the  4th  day  of  March,  1797,  I  set  out  for  the  west- 
ern country,  and  met  the  conference  on  Holston.  Mr. 
Asbury  was  at  the  conference.  I  received  my  appoint- 
ment on  the  Holston  circuit  again,  having  been  absent 
for  five  years.  Brother  William  Duzan  traveled  with  me 
that  year.  Nothing  of  importance  transpired  during  that 
conference  year.  We  had  a  gradual  increase  in  the  soci- 
eties. I  visited  Clinch  and  Green  circuits  in  the  course 
of  the  year,  and  attended  several  quarterly  meetings, 
which  in  those  days  of  Methodism  were  the  only  popular 
meetings  where  the  preachers,  when  they  could  leave 
their  circuits,  met  to  help  forward  the  good  cause.  In 
the  spring  of  1798  Bishop  Asbury  met  the  conference  on 
Holston,  and  I  was  appointed  to  Cumberland  again,  hav- 
ing been  absent  two  years.  I  traveled  this  year  alone, 
and  had  not  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  face  of  a  travel- 
ing preacher  through  the  entire  year.  The  circuit  had 


WESTEBN    METHODISM.  53 

become  very  large;  the  country  was  settling  very  fast; 
and  many  additions  to  the  Church  made  by  certificate. 
During  this  year  many  local  preachers  emigrated,  and 
settled  in  the  bounds  of  the  circuit.  Kev.  John  M'Gee 
settled  at  Dickson's  Spring ;  Rev.  Jesse  Walker  settled 
on  White's  Creek.  This  year  I  became  acquainted  with 
J.  A.  Grenade,  who  moved  from  the  lower  part  of  the 
state  of  North  Carolina.  He  had  in  Carolina  professed 
religion;  but  on  coming  to  Tennessee  he  had  fallen  into 
a  strange  state  of  mind.  He  was  in  constant  fear  of  hell, 
and  despaired  of  ever  being  restored  to  the  favor  of  God 
again.  I  did  every  thing  in  my  power  for  his  recovery. 
He  traveled  with  me  considerably,  and  sometimes  he 
would  have  lucid  intervals — seasons  when  he  appeared 
perfectly  rational,  and  expressed  a  hope ;  but  suddenly 
he  would  relapse  into  melancholy  and  despair  again. 

During  this  year  I  had  to  pay  nearly  a  hundred  dollars 
for  a  horse,  and  I  found  it  hard  to  raise  the  money>  and 
support  myself,  and  pay  the  board  of  my  wife ;  however, 
I  economized  in  every  way.  I  borrowed  a  blanket,  and 
wore  it  instead  of  a  great-coat  through  the  winter,  and 
by  that  means  paid  my  debts.  Upon  the  whole,  I  spent 
this  year  very  agreeably,  and  with  some  success.  I  left 
the  circuit  in  the  spring  of  1799  for  conference  in  Ken- 
tucky, at  Bethel  Academy.  This  year  I  received  my 
appointment  on  Danville  circuit  for  the  second  time,  hav- 
ing been  absent  for  seven  years.  Part  of  this  year  I  had 
Henry  Smith  for  my  colleague,  who,  I  believe,  is  yet  liv- 
ing in  Maryland.  I  had  many  difficulties  to  contend 
with,  being  the  first  married  preacher  that  had  ever 
attempted  to  travel  with  what  the  people  and  preachers 
called  the  iucumbrance  of  a  wife;  and  every  thing  was 
thrown  in  my  way  to  discourage  me.  The  presiding 
elder  thought  I  had  better  locate ;  for,  he  said,  the  peo- 
ple would  not  support  a  married  man.  But  I  determined 

5* 


54  SKETCHES     OF 

to  hold  on  my  way,  and  niy  wife  encouraged  me.  She 
wrought  with  her  own  hands,  and  paid  her  board,  and 
clothed  herself;  and  I  divided  equally  with  my  colleague, 
and  by  this  means  kept  every  thing  quiet. 

This  year  began  my  war  with  the  Baptists.  Having 
had  some  small  revival,  the  Baptists  did  all  they  could 
to  draw  off  our  members  and  get  them  into  the  water; 
and  I  began  with  lecturing  every  time  I  baptized  an 
infant,  which  greatly  roused  up  the  Baptists,  so  much 
so  that  I  received  a  challenge  from  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Shelton,  the  champion  of  the  whole  Baptist  denomina- 
tion. I  accepted  the  challenge,  and  the  day  was  ap- 
pointed at  Irvin's  Lick,  in  Madison  county.  We  met 
according  to  appointment,  and  settled  the  preliminaries 
of  debate,  each  to  speak  fifteen  minutes.  Brother  John 
Watson  was  appointed  by  me  to  keep  time  and  call  to 
order,  and  a  Baptist  preacher  appointed  by  Mr.  Shelton 
for  the  same  purpose.  We  proceeded  about  four  hours 
to  debate  the  subject.  I  had  the  close,  when  Shelton 
observed  to  the  immense  congregation  that  he  believed  I 
was  an  honest  but  a  mistaken  man.  I  proceeded  to  ad- 
minister the  ordinance  of  baptism  on  the  spot,  and  Mr. 
Shelton  stood  by  and  witnessed  the  same.  From  that 
day  the  tug  of  war  began,  which  continued  till  1811, 
when  I  left  the  state.  At  that  meeting  Elisha  W.  Bow- 
man was  present,  and  a  young  speaker  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  who  immediately  entered  upon  the 
study  of  the  subject  and  became  a  warm  auxiliary  in  the 
cause.  William  J.  Thompson  also  took  up  the  subject. 
He  was  a  strong  man  and  rendered  efficient  service.  Af- 
ter 1800  John  Sale  and  William  M'Kendree  engaged 
with  me  in  the  contest.  We  kept  up  a  constant  fire  upon 
the  Baptists,  and  the  Methodists  began  to  gain  confi- 
dence and  to  make  a  respectable  stand  among  the  denom- 
inations of  Christians. 


WE8TEKN    METHODISM.  55 

The  year  1799  I  expected  would  terminate  my  labors 
in  the  western  country.  At  the  request  of  Bishop  As- 
bury,  all  the  preachers  that  had  been  in  the  west  for  any 
considerable  time  were  to  leave  the  country  and  attend 
the  General  conference  at  Baltimore,  on  the  sixth  day  of 
May,  1800,  and  to  receive  their  appointments  in  the  old 
states,  and  a  new  set  to  be  sent  to  the  west.  \Ve  all 
accordingly  set  out  early  in  April.  The  following  were 
the  preachers  that  left :  Francis  Poythress,  Thomas  Wil- 
kerson,  John  Page,  John  Watson,  John  Buxton,  Henry 
Smith,  John  Kobler,  and  William  Burke.  Bishop  Asbury 
had  formed  the  intended  plan  of  appointing  a  presiding 
elder  to  take  charge  of  all  the  west  in  one  district; 
namely,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and  all  that  part  of  Vir- 
ginia west  of  New  river  and  the  North-Western  territory, 
including  the  Miami  and  Scioto  Valleys.  He  used  his 
utmost  endeavors,  during  the  General  conference,  to 
engage  a  man  for  that  purpose,  but  failed;  for  when  they 
understood  the  extent  of  the  territory  they  would  have  to 
travel  over,  they  uniformly  declined  to  undertake  it. 
Before  the  close  of  the  conference  he  applied  to  me  to 
know  if  I  would  consent  to  return  to  Kentucky  and  take 
with  me  all  the  papers  appertaining  to  the  annual  confer' 
ence  and  Bethel  Academy,  and  do  the  best  I  could  for 
the  work  in  that  part  of  the  field.  I  consented,  and  he 
appointed  to  go  with  me  John  Sale,  Hezekiah  Harraman. 
William  Algood,  and  Henry  Smith;  for  the  Holston  coun- 
try, James  Hunter,  John  Watson,  and  John  Page;  and 
for  Cumberland,  William  Lambeth.  John  Sale  and  H. 
Harraman  proceeded  with  me  immediately  for  Kentucky. 
Hezekiah  Harraman  was  appointed  to  Danville  circuit, 
John  Sale  to  Salt  River  and  Shelby,  William  Algood  to 
Limestone.  I  was  appointed  to  Hinkston,  and  to  super- 
intend the  quarterly  meetings  where  there  was  no  elder. 
William  Algood  never  came  to  his  appointment.  I  pre- 


56  SKETCHES    OF 

vailed  on  Jeremiah  Lawson  to  supply  liis  place  on  Lime- 
stone circuit,  and  I  placed  Lewis  Hunt  on  Hinkston;  and 
spent  the  most  of  my  time  on  Lexington,  Hinkston,  and 
Limestone  circuits.  My  labors,  during  that  summer, 
were  very  arduous,  and  to  accomplish  my  work  I  rode 
down  two  good  horses. 

During  that  year  the  annual  conference  was  changed 
from  the  spring  to  the  fall;  and  on  the  first  of  October, 
1800,  the  conference  met  at  Bethel  Academy.  Bishops 
Asbury  and  Whatcoat  attended,  and  they  brought  with 
them  William  M'Kendree,  from  the  center  district  of 
Virginia,  to  take  charge  of  the  whole  of  the  western 
country.  Mr.  Asbury  wished  me  to  go  and  take  charge 
of  the  district  that  M'Kendree  had  left,  but  I  told  him 
it  was  out  of  the  question ;  that  I  had  returned  to  Ken- 
tucky, at  his  request,  from  Baltimore,  in  the  spring;  that 
I  had  rode  down  my  horses;  that  I  had  worn  out  my 
clothes;  that  I  was  ragged  and  tattered;  and  last  and  not 
least,  I  had  not  a  cent  in  my  pocket,  and,  therefore, 
could  not  go.  He  yielded  to  the  necessity  of  the  case. 
At  that  conference  Benjamin  Lakin  was  readmitted  and 
William  Marsh  admitted.  I  was  appointed  on  Lexington 
and  Hinkston  united,  with  Thomas  Wilkerson  and  Lewis 
Hunt.  Wilkerson  did  not  come  on  from  Baltimore  cir- 
cuit till  late  in  the  spring  of  1801. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  57 


CHAPTER  III. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY    CONTINUED. 

I  NOW  enter  upon  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  west- 
ern Methodism.  I  consider  this  the  proper  place  to 
give  a  description  of  the  men  and  means  employed  in 
the  establishment  and  progress  of  Methodism  in  this 
western  country,  and  the  difficulties  and  hardships  en- 
countered in  the  work.  As  early  as  the  year  1785  the 
first  traveling  preachers  visited  the  Holston  country; 
their  names  were  Richard  Swift  and  Michael  Gilbert. 
The  country  at  this  time  was  new  and  thinly  settled. 
They  met  with  many  privations  and  sufferings,  and  mado 
but  little  progress.  The  most  of  the  country  through 
which  they  traveled  was  very  mountainous  and  rough, 
and  the  people  ignorant  and  uncultivated,  and  the  greater 
part  a  frontier  exposed  to  Indian  depredations.  They 
were  followed  by  Mark  Whitaker  and  Mark  Moore,  who 
were  zealous,  plain,  old-fashioned  Methodist  preachers, 
and  calculated  to  make  an  impression.  Their  labors  were 
successful,  and  they  were  instrumental  in  raising  up 
many  societies.  Mark  Whitaker  in  particular  was  a 
strong  man,  and  maintained  Methodist  doctrine  in  oppo- 
sition to  Calvinism,  which  was  the  prevailing  doctrine  of 
that  time.  He  laid  a  good  foundation  for  his  successors, 
and  was  followed  by  Jeremiah  Matson  and  Thomas  Ware, 
and  after  them  in  succession  JosephDoddridge,  Jeremiah 
Able,  John  Tunnell,  John  Baldwin,  Charles  Hardy,  John 
M'Gee,  and  John  West.  Under  God  these  men  planted 
the  standard  of  the  cross  in  the  frontier  settlements  of 


58  SKETCHES    OF 

the  French  Broad,  and  numerous  societies  were  raised  up, 
so  that  in  1791  the  societies  numbered  upward  of  one 
thousand.  About  this  time  I  arrived  in  the  Holston 
country.  These  fathers  of  Methodism,  most  of  whom 
have  gone  to  their  reward,  will  be  long  had  in  grateful 
remembrance.  But  two  of  them  are  lingering  on  the 
shores  of  mortality — Charles  Hardy  and  John  West. 
The  most  of  them  died  in  connection  with  the  Church, 
and  are  now  reaping  the  reward  of  their  labors  and  suf- 
ferings. Joseph  Doddridc^c  received  orders  in  the  Epis- 
copal Church  of  ••  England,  and  settled  in  the  Monongahela 
country,  and  there  died.  Jeremiah  Able  joined  the 
Presbyterians,  and  lived  and  died  in  the  Green  river 
country,  not  far  from  Greensburg,  Green  county,  Ken- 
tucky. 

The  pioneers  of  Methodism  in  that  part  of  western 
Virginia  and  the  Western  territory  suffered  many  priva- 
tions, and  underwent  much  toil  and  labor,  preaching  in 
forts  and  cabins,  sleeping  on  straw,  bear  and  buffalo 
skins,  living  on  bear  meat,  venison,  and  wild  turkeys, 
traveling  over  mountains  and  through  solitary  yalleys, 
and,  sometimes,  lying  on  the  cold  ground;  receiving  but 
a  scanty  support,  barely  enough  to  keep  soul  and  body 
together,  with  coarse  home-made  apparel;  but  the  best 
of  all  was,  their  labors  were  owned  and  blessed  of  God, 
and  they  were  like  a  band  of  brothers,  having  one  pur- 
pose and  end  in  view — the  glory  of  God  and  the  salva- 
tion of  immortal  souls.  When  the  preachers  met  from 
their  different  and  distant  fields  of  labor,  they  had  a  feast 
of  love  and  friendship;  and  when  they  parted,  they  wept 
and  embraced  each  other  as  brothers  beloved.  Such  was 
the  spirit  of  primitive  Methodist  preachers. 

There  were  but  few  local  preachers  at  that  time  in  that 
part  of  the  western  country,  and  they  were  like  angels' 
visits,  few  and  far  between — one  local  preacher  on  West 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  59 

New  River  circuit,  a  brother  Morgan,  whose  lahors  were 
confined  principally  to  a  small  circle;  but  one  on  Holston, 
old  father  Ragen,  in  the  Rich  Valley,  not  far  from  the 
Salt-Works.  He  was  a  man  much  respected,  and,  in 
some  degree,  useful  in  his  neighborhood,  but  circum- 
scribed in  his  operations  as  a  preacher.  At  an  early  time 
brother  Benjamin  Vanpelt,  a  local  preacher  of  consider- 
able talents  and  usefulness,  moved  from  Alexandria,  Vir- 
ginia, and  settled  on  Lick  creek,  Green  county,  Western 
territory.  He  labored  extensively,  was  very  useful,  and 
was  made  an  instrument,  under  God,  of  doing  much 
good.  Several  societies  were  formed  by  his  ministry,  and 
he  may  be  considered  one  of  the  fathers  of  the  Church. 
His  memory  will  be  long  had  in  remembrance  by  the  peo- 
ple of  the  French  Broad  country.  He  was  the  old  and 
particular  friend  of  Bishop  Asbury,  and  one  of  the  first 
meeting-houses  built  in  that  country  was  Vanpelt's  meet- 
ing-house. I  have  been  in  company  with  the  Bishop  at 
his  house,  and  heard  him  preach  in  the  meeting-house  as 
early  as  1792.  Brother  Stilwell,  another  local  preacher 
from  Virginia,  settled  in  the  same  neighborhood  and 
United  with  brother  Vanpelt,  and  they  labored  harmoni- 
ously in  the  good  work.  After  the  conclusion  of  the 
Indian  war,  in  the  spring  of  1795,  there  was  a  great  in- 
flux by  immigration.  Some  of  the  traveling  preachers 
married  and  settled  in  the  country.  James  O'Conner 
settled  on  Watauga,  Mark  Whitaker  near  Jonesboro,  Ste- 
phen Brooks  in  Green  county,  and  many  others,  both 
preachers  and  members,  settled  in  different  sections,  and 
some  new  preachers  were  raised  up,  and  the  work  was 
enlarged;  new  circuits  were  formed,  and  some  useful  and 
talented  young  men  entered  into  the  traveling  connection. 
Among  the  first  was  Francis  Acuff,  of  precious  memory, 
who,  at  an  early  period,  fell  a  victim  to  disease,  and  died 
in  the  triumphs  of  faith  on  Danville  circuit,  Kentucky. 


60  SKETCHES    OF 

Nathaniel  Massie,  David  Young,  Henager,  and  Porter, 
in  succession  were  raised  up  in  that  section  of  country, 
whose  labors  and  usefulness  are  known  among  the  thou- 
sands of  Israel;  and  the  few  who  remain  to  witness  the 
spread  and  triumph  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  are  ready 
to  exclaim,  "The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
whereof  we  are  glad." 

/We  now  turn  our  attention  to  Kentucky.  This  country 
began  to  be  settled  by  adventurers  soon  after  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Revolutionary  war.  It  was  completely 
insulated,  being  a  vast  wilderness  to  the  south  from  the 
frontiers  of  Virginia  and  the  Western  territory,  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty  miles  on  the  eastern  boundary;  an 
uninhabited  country  till  you  arrived  on  the  frontiers  of 
Virginia  and  Pennsylvania;  a  few  settlements  being  scat- 
tered through  Brook  county,  Virginia,  and  on  the  Monon- 
gahela,  and  on  Greenbriar  river,  and  the  head  waters  of 
James  river,  and  on  the  north  by  the  Ohio  river;  and  the 
whole  country  extending  to  the  lakes  without  inhabitants, 
except  the  Indians,  who  were  the  friends  of  the  British, 
and  under  their  influence,  and  kept  up  a  constant  warfare 
on  the  whole  of  the  settlements  in  Kentucky.  The  first 
families  that  emigrated  to  Kentucky  was  in  the  year 
1773,  and  the  first  station  established  was  Boonsboro,  on 
the  Kentucky  river,  situated  in  what  was  afterward 
called  Madison  county.  The  next  stations  were  Harrod's 
and  Bryant's.  Harrod's  Station  was  situated  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Kentucky  river,  below  the  mouth  of  Dick's 
river;  and  as  the  settlements  spread  the  stations  were 
multiplied.  Every  new  settlement  had  a  station;  one  at 
Ruddell's  Mills,  at  Georgetown,  Millersburg,  Mays  Lick, 
Washington,  Frankfort,  Louisville,  Middletown,  Master- 
son's  Station,  Burnt  Station,  and  numerous  others  formed 
as  the  country  settled.  The  frontier  settlements  kept  up 
the  stations  and  block-houses  till  the  treaty  of  Greenville, 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  61 

in  the  spring  of  1795.  In  the  first  settlement  of  Ken- 
tucky the  denomination  of  Baptists  were  the  most  numer- 
ous. Among  the  first  preachers  of  that  order  were  the 
Craigs,  the  Bledsoes,  and  Bailey,  etc.  There  were  a  few 
Presbyterian  ministers  that  settled  in  different  sections 
of  the  country.  Old  father  Hank  in,  of  Lexington,  Rev. 
Mr.  Rice,  from  Virginia,  settled  in  the  forks  of  Dicklfl 
river,  and  the  Rev.  Robt.  W.  Finley  at  Cane  Ridge.  After 
the  conclusion  of  the  Revolutionary  war  the  emigration 
was  very  great  to  Kentucky ;  and  the  Presbyterians  sent 
out  numbers  of  missionaries,  who  traveled  and  preached 
through  the  country,  and  settled  down  wherever  they 
could  establish  a  congregation.  Among  the  first  was  the 
Rev.  Messrs.  James  Blythe,  Lyle,  Welch,  M'Namer, 
Stone,  Reynolds,  Stewart,  and  several  others  not  recol- 
lected. 

They  established  congregations  in  Fayette,  Clark,  Bour- 
bon, Soott,  and  Woodford,  and  M'Clelland,  in  Mercer,  and 
Washington.  The  Baptists  still  continued  the  most  nu- 
merous; but  at  an  early  period,  say  about  1789,  or  1790, 
they  had  a  division  in  the  Church.  A  numerous  party 
arose  among  them  calling  themselves  Separate,  or  by  some 
denominated  Free-Will  Baptists.  The  Free-Will  Baptists 
held  in  common  the  doctrines  of  the  Methodists,  except 
the  unconditional  final  perseverance  of  the  saints,  and 
baptism  by  immersion  as  the  only  mode,  while  the 
Regulars  held  to  the  doctrine  of  predestination,  as  set 
forth  in  the  Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith;  but  they 
were  subject  to  another  division.  Rev.  John  Bailey 
and  Bledso  embraced  the  doctrines  of  Winchester,  and 
were  denominated  Universalists.  They  were  popular 
preachers  among  the  Baptists,  and  made  great  inroads  in 
many  of  their  Churches;  and  the  controversy  was  carried 
to  great  lengths,  and  conducted  with  much  acrimony. 
At  this  period  the  Separatists  took  the  lead.  They  suc- 
6 


62  SKETCHES    OF 

cessfully  preached  against  the  doctrine  of  predestination 
and  decrees,  enforced  experimental  and  practical  religion, 
formed  Churches,  and  established  separate  associations, 
and  became  very  numerous;  but  they  have  long  since 
ceased  to  exist  as  a  separate  denomination.  They  gradu- 
ally united  with  the  Regular  associations,  and  are  now 
known  as  Baptists  generally.  At  the  commencement  of 
these  controversies  the  Methodists  were  few  and  far 
between. 

Soon  after  the  conclusion  of  the  war  with  Great  Brit- 
ain, Francis  Clark,  a  local  preacher  from  old  Virginia, 
settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  Danville,  Mercer  county, 
and  was  among  the  first  Methodists  that  emigrated  to  the 
country.  lie  was  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  and  well 
instructed  in  the  doctrines  of  the  Methodist  Church.  As 
a  preacher  he  was  successful,  and  was  made  the  instru- 
ment of  forming  several  societies,  and  lived  many  years 
to  rejoice  in  the  success  of  the  cause  that  he  had  been 
the  instrument,  under  God,  of  commencing  in  the  wilder- 
ness. He  died  at  his  own  domicile,  in  the  fall  of  1799, 
in  great  peace,  and  in  hope  of  a  blessed  immortality.  I 
attended  his  funeral  in  connection  with  the  Rev.  Francis 
Poythress,  and  at  his  request  I  preached  from  these 
words:  "  For  to  me  to  live  is  Christ,  but  to  die  is  gain." 
The  Rev.  William  J.  Thompson  emigrated  at  an  early 
day  from  Stokes  county,  North  Carolina,  and  settled  in 
the  same  neighborhood.  He  became  also  a  useful  auxil- 
iary, and  preached  with  acceptance  and  success.  He 
afterward  joined  the  traveling  connection  in  the  West- 
ern conference;  and  when  he  moved  to  the  state  of  Ohio 
became  connected  with  the  Ohio  conference,  where  his 
labors  and  usefulness  are  held  in  remembrance  by  many. 
He  still  lives  in  good  old  age,  in  Clermont  county,  Ohio. 
The  next  local  preachers  that  came  to  the  country  were 
Nathaniel  Harris,  from  Virginia,  Gabriel  and  Daniel 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  63 

Woodfield,  from  the  Redstone  country.  Harris  settled  in 
Jessamine  county,  and  the  Woodfields  in  Fayette  county; 
and  not  long  after  Philip  Taylor,  from  Virginia,  settled 
in  Jessamine  county.  These  were  considered  a  great 
acquisition  to  the  infant  societies.  Nathaniel  Harris  and 
Gabriel  Woodfield  were  among  the  first  order  of  local 
preachers,  and  they  were  highly  esteemed,  and  labored 
with  success.  They  have  been  connected  with  the  itin- 
erancy, and  labored  in  that  relation  with  acceptance. 
Gabriel  Woodfield  afterward  settled  in  Henry  county;  but 
before  his  death  removed  to  Indiana,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Madison,  where  he  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  and  died 
in  peace  among  his  friends  and  connections.  Brother 
Nathaniel  Harris  still  lives,  at  the  age  of  nearly  four- 
score years.  He  is  still  actively  engaged  in  the  good 
cause,  and  lives  in  the  midst  of  his  friends,  highly  es- 
teemed and  useful.  Joseph  Ferguson,  a  local  preacher 
from  Fairfax  county,  Virginia,  moved  to  Kentucky  at  an 
early  time,  and  settled  in  Nelson  county,  and  was  among 
the  first  preachers  that  settled  in  that  section  of  the 
country.  He  was  an  amiable  man,  possessed  good 
preaching  talents,  and  was  rendered  very  useful.  He 
was  highly  esteemed,  blessed  with  an  amiable  family,  and 
his  house  was  a  home  for  the  traveling  preachers,  who 
were  at  all  times  welcome  guests.  Brother  Ferguson  was 
subject  at  times  to  great  depression  of  mind;  but  when 
in  the  company  of  the  traveling  preachers  he  was  always 
cheerful  and  happy.  He  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  at  the 
place  where  he  first  settled,  and  died  in  peace  and  in  the 
triumphs  of  that  Gospel  which  he  had  proclaimed  for 
many  years.  Ferguson's  meeting-house  was  one  of  the 
first  that  was  built  in  that  part  of  the  country;  and  at 
one  time  there  was  a  large  society  at  that  meeting-house, 
and  when  I  was  last  in  the  neighborhood,  in  the  fall  of 
1811,  they  still  maintained  a  respectable  standing:. 


6Jr  SlvETCHKS    OF 

One  of  the  oldest  meeting-houses  iu  Madison  county 
was  Proctor's  Chapel,  not  far  from  Boonsboro.  That  part 
of  the  country  shared  largely  in  the  blessings  of  the 
Gospel,  and  Methodism  nourished  to  a  very  great  extent 
in  that  county.  There  were  a  number  of  respectable 
local  preachers,  whose  labors  were  extensive  and  success- 
ful. Charles  Kavanaugh,  John  Cook,  R.  Baker,  and  J. 
Proctor,  were  all  early  emigrants  to  that  part  of  the 
country.  Charles  Kavanaugh  was  a  preacher  of  splendid 
talents  and  great  usefulness.  lie  was  an  able  defender 
of  the  doctrines  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  was 
highly  respected  by  all  denominations.  There  were  sev- 
eral families  of  that  connection.  Williams  Kavanaugh 
was  raised  in  that  neighborhood,  and  was  a  cousin  to 
Charles.  Williams  Kavanaugh  and  Lewis  Garrett  were 
both  raised  on  Danville  circuit,  and  both  entered  the 
traveling  connection  in  the  spring  of  1794,  and  traveled 
that  conference  year  together  on  Green  circuit,  now  East 
Tennessee,  then  the  Western  territory.  Of  these  two 
young  men  we  shall  hereafter  have  something  more  to 
say.  Charles  Kavanaugh,  after  having  made  full  proof 
of  his  ministry  in  Kentucky,  removed,  in  1790  or  1797, 
to  the  neighborhood  of  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  I 
found  him  settled  in  1798.  He  there  commenced  the 
practice  ef  medicine,  and  was  celebrated  as  a  cancer  doc- 
tor. Of  his  labors  and  usefulness  in  that  country,  and 
the  mariner  in  which  he  closed  his  life  and  labors,  we 
hope  some  friend  will  furnish  the  account. 

We  must  now  turn  our  attention  to  the  introduction  of 
the  traveling  missionaries  into  the  state  of  Kentucky. 
The  first  traveling  Methodist  preachers  that  ever  set  foot 
on  Kentucky  soil  was  James  Haw  and  Benjamin  Ogden. 
They  were  stationed  in  Kentucky,  1786 — James  Haw 
elder;  and  at  the  end  of  the  year  they  returned  ninety 
in  society.  This  was  the  commencement  of  Methodism 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  05 

in  the  great  west.  In  order  to  show  the  progress  of 
Methodism,  and  the  means  and  instruments  employed, 
I  shall  give  you  the  numbers  of  increase  of  members  and 
traveling  preachers  in  1788.  Number,  539.  Circuits: 
Lexington,  Thomas  Williamson,  Peter  Massie,  Benjamin 
Snelling ;  Danville,  Wilson  Lee ;  Cumberland,  David 
Coombs,  Barnabas  M' Henry.  In  1789 :  Number,  1,088. 
This  year  Francis  Poythress  was  appointed  presiding 
elder,  and  a  regular  district  was  formed.  Lexington, 
James  Haw,  Wilson  Lee,  Stephen  Brooks ;  Danville,  Bar- 
nabas M' Henry,  Peter  Massie  ;  Cumberland,  Thomas 
Williamson,  Joshua  Hartley.  In  1790  :  Number,  1,366. 
Francis  Poythress  presiding  elder.  Danville,  Thomaa 
Williamson,  Stephen  Brooks;  Cumberland,  James  Haw, 
Wilson  Lee,  Peter  Massie;  Madison,  Barnabas  M' Henry, 
Benjamin  Snelling,  Samuel  Tucker,  Joseph  Lillard;  Lex- 
ington, Henry  Burchet,  David  Haggard.  In  1791 : 
Number,  1,969.  Francis  Poythress  presiding  elder. 
Limestone,  Peter  Massie ;  Danville,  Thomas  Williamson, 
J.  Tat  man;  Salt  River,  Wilson  Lee,  Joseph  Lillard; 
Lexington,  Henry  Burchet,  David  Haggard;  Cumber- 
land, Barnabas  M'Henry,  James  CXCull.  In  1792 :  Num- 
ber,  2,235.  Francis  Poythress  presiding  elder.  Lime- 
stone, John  Ray;  Lexington,  John  Sewell,  Benjamin 
Northcott,  John  Page;  Danville,  Wilson  Lee,  Richard 
Bird;  Cumberland,  John  Ball,  J.  Stephenson;  Henry 
Burchet,  Isaac  Hammer,  Salt  River. 

We  shall  now  notice  the  state  of  religion.  The  first 
two  years  were  principally  taken  up  in  seeking  the  lost 
sheep  that  had  been  scattered  in  the  wilderness.  In 
1798  there  was  a  new  recruit  of  preachers  sent  out. 
Thomas  Williamson,  Wilson  Lee,  and  David  Coombs 
came  from  the  Redstone  country,  which  at  that  time  was 
connected  with  the  Baltimore  conference  as  missionary 
ground ;  but  soon  afterward,  as  early  as  1791,  Bishop 

6* 


66  SKETCHES    OF 

Asoury  held  a  conference  at  Uniontown,  not  far  from  the 
foot  of  Laurel  Hill,  in  Pennsylvania.  This  new  recruit 
consisted  of  young  men,  and  all  well  qualified  for  the 
work  of  missionaries.  They  had  no  other  object  in  view 
but  to  push  forward  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  and  to 
enlarge  the  borders  of  Zion. 

The  same  year  Barnabas  M'Henry,  then  quite  a  youth, 
and  one  of  the  early  fruits  of  Methodism  in  the  Holston 
country,  came  out  into  the  field.  His  parents  resided  in 
the  Rich  Valley  not  far  from  the  Salt-Works,  Washington 
county,  Virginia.  He  also  penetrated  the  wilderness, 
and  came  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty. 
This  band  of  young,  resolute  soldiers  of  the  cross  united 
under  two  old  and  experienced  veterans — Francis  Poy- 
thress  and  James  Haw.  Providence  opened  their  way, 
and  they  began  to  make  some  favorable  impressions  upon 
the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  people.  They  occupied  the 
whole  ground,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  the  few  local 
men  who  had  been  there  before  them,  they  carried  the 
war  into  the  camp  of  the  enemy,  and  in  a  short  time  a 
powerful  and  extensive  revival  took  place.  Hundreds 
were  added  to  the  Church ;  and  considering  the  situation 
of  the  country,  surrounded  by  a  wilderness,  and  the  Indi- 
ans continually  making  depredations  on  the  frontiers,  and 
the  people  constantly  harassed  and  penned  up  in  forts 
and  stations,  it  may  be  considered  among  the  greatest 
revivals  that  was  ever  known.  In  this  revival  a  number 
of  wealthy  and  respectable  citizens  were  added  to  the 
Church — the  Hardins,  Thomases,  Hites,  Lewises,  Easlands, 
Mastersons,  Kavanaughs,  Tuckers,  Richardsons,  Letemors, 
Browns,  Garretts,  Churchfields,  Jefferses,  Hoards,  and 
numbers  of  others  of  respectable  standing  in  society; 
and  out  of  this  revival  was  raised  up  some  useful  and 
promising  young  men,  who  entered  the  traveling  con- 
nection, and  many  of  them  made  full  proof  of  their 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  67 

ministry,  and  lived  many  years  to  ornament  the  Church 
of  God.  I  will  name  a  few  of  them.  Peter  Massie,  who 
was  termed  the  weeping  prophet,  was  among  the  first- 
fruits.  He  was  made  an  instrument  of  great  good  wher- 
ever he  went,  scattering  the  holy  fire.  His  labors  were 
so  great  that  his  race  was  but  short.  He  literally  wore 
himself  out  in  a  few  years.  The  zeal  of  God's  cause 
literally  consumed  him.  He  was  great  and  mighty  in 
prayer,  and  always  wished  that  he  might  die  suddenly, 
and  without  lingering  in  pain.  He  labored  faithfully 
for  three  years;  and  on  the  18th  of  December,  1791,  he 
was  sitting  in  his  chair  at  brother  Hodge's,  a  station  six 
miles  south  of  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  he  suddenly 
expired,  in  the  morning  about  nine  o'clock.  So  ended 
the  labors  of  brother  Massie.  His  remains  lie  near  the 
Old  Station,  unhonored  by  a  single  stone,  and  to  the 
present  generation  entirely  unknown ;  but  he  rests  from 
his  labors  in  hope  of  a  resurrection,  while  his  immortal 
spirit  is  in  the  world  of  bliss  and  of  glory.  Others  well 
known  to  the  present  generation  of  Methodists  were  also 
thrust  out  into  the  vineyard — John  Ray,  Benjamin 
Northcott,  Joseph  Lillard,  and  Joseph  Tattman.  In  the 
year  1791  Henry  Burchet  and  David  Haggard,  from  the 
Virginia  conference,  and  James  O'Cull,  from  the  Red- 
stone country,  were  sent  out  as  a  reinforcement,  and 
united  in  carrying  on  the  work,  which  was  still  in  prog- 
ress, notwithstanding  the  campaigns  that  were  carried  on 
against  the  Indians;  for  during  this  time  Harmar  and 
St.  Clair  had  both  been  defeated  on  the  north  of  the 
Ohio  river,  and  the  country  constantly  kept  in  a  state  of 
agitation.  Still  Methodism  held  up  her  head,  and  pre- 
sented a  bold  front.  The  societies  maintained  their 
ground.  In  1792  the  number  was  2,235,  and  the  num- 
ber of  traveling  preachers  eleven — about  two  hundred 
members  to  one  preacher.  The  reader  may  have  some 


68  SKETCHES    OF 

kind  of  an  idea  what  kind  of  pecuniary  support  they  had. 
Traveling  and  preaching,  night  and  day,  in  weariness  and 
want;  many  days  without  the  necessaries  of  life,  and 
always  without  those  comforts  that  are  now  enjoyed  by 
traveling  preachers;  with  worn  and  tattered  garments, 
but  happy  and  united  like  a  band  of  brothers.  The 
quarterly  meetings  and  annual  conferences  were  high 
times.  When  the  pilgrims  met  they  never  met  without 
embracing  each  other,  and  never  parted  at  those  seasons 
without  weeping.  Those  were  days  that  tried  men's 
souls. 

Thomas  "Williamson  was  a  very  successful  and  laborious 
preacher.  He  literally  wore  himself  out  in  traveling  and 
preaching,  but  ended  his  days  in  peace  in  the  state  of 
Kentucky,  not  far  from  Lexington.  Wilson  Lee  was  one 
of  the  most  successful  preachers  among  those  early  ad- 
venturers. He  was  a  man  of  fine  talents,  meek  and  hum- 
ble, of  a  sweet  disposition,  and  not  only  a  Christian  and 
Christian  minister,  but  much  of  a  gentleman.  During 
his  stay  in  Kentucky,  from  1787  to  1792,  he  traveled 
over  all  the  settlements  of  Kentucky  and  Cumberland, 
much  admired  and  beloved  by  saint  and  sinner.  In  the 
spring  of  1792,  in  company  with  Bishop  Asbury,  he 
crossed  the  wilderness  from  Kentucky  to  Virginia,  where 
I  met  him  at  conference  on  Holston,  and  from  thence  to 
the  eastward,  and  attended  the  first  General  conference 
at  Baltimore,  November  1,  1792,  and  remained  in  the 
bounds  of  the  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore 
conferences  till  he  departed  this  life,  in  1804,  at  Walter 
Worthington's,  Ann  Arundel  county,  Maryland.  The 
last  time  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  was  in  George- 
town, District  of  Columbia,  on  my  way  to  the  General 
conference  of  May  1,  1804.  He  was  then  in  a  very  feeble 
condition.  His  affliction  was  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs, 
of  which  he  died.  During  the  time  he  traveled  in  Ken- 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  69 

tucky  he  passed  through  many  sufferings  and  privations, 
in  weariness  and  want,  in  hunger  and  nakedness;  travel- 
ing from  fort  to  fort,  sometimes  with  a  guard  and  some- 
times alone;  often  exposing  his  life;  for  the  savages 
were  constantly  in  quest  of  plunder  and  of  life;  and 
scarcely  a  week  passed  without  hearing  of  some  one  fall- 
ing a  prey  to  them;  and  what  we  say  of  brother  Lee  may 
be  said  of  all  the  traveling  preachers,  as  it  respects  their 
exposure  and  suffering,  till  the  year  1794 — the  year  of 
Wayne's  campaign — when  the  northern  Indians  were 
held  in  fear  and  finally  subdued. 

In  1791  Henry  Burchet  was  sent  from  the  Virginia 
conference  and  stationed  on  Lexington  circuit;  in  1792 
on  Salt  River.  On  both  those  circuits  he  was  eminently 
useful.  He  was  very  zealous,  and  declined  no  labor  or 
suffering,  but  offered  himself  a  willing  sacrifice  to  the 
cause  of  his  Redeemer.  He  was  among  the  first  preach- 
ers in  the  west  who  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  rising 
generation.  In  every  neighborhood  where  it  was  practi- 
cable he  formed  the  children  into  classes,  sang  and  prayed 
with  them,  catechised  them,  and  exhorted  them.  For 
this  work  he  had  a  peculiar  turn,  and  was  successful  in 
carrying  out  his  plan  of  instruction.  Many  years  after  I 
have  heard  the  young  people  in  Kentucky  and  Cumber- 
land speak  in  the  highest  terms  of  Henry  Burchet.  At 
the  conference  held  at  Masterson's  Station,  in  May,  1793, 
our  beloved  brother  Burchet  was  in  a  poor  state  of  health. 
He  had  labored  the  preceding  year  on  Salt  River  circuit, 
the  most  extensive  in  the  district,  requiring  more  labor 
and  suffering  than  any  other  in  the  country.  Before  the 
close  of  the  year  he  felt  a  great  weakness  in  his  breast 
and  spitting  of  blood.  At  the  conference  it  appeared 
that  Cumberland  must  be  left  to  be  provided  for  hereaf- 
ter. Brother  Burchet  said,  "Here  am  I,  send  me."  His 
friends  remonstrated  against  his  going;  the  distance  was 


TO  SKETCHES    OF 

great;  considerable  danger  from  Indians;  the  smaii-pox 
prevailing  in  the  country — all  was  urged  against  his 
going;  but  after  asking  the  consent  of  Bishop  Asbury 
and  the  conference,  he  said,  "If  I  perish  who  can  doubt 
of  iny  eternal  rest,  or  fail  to  say,  Let  me  die  the  death  of 
the  righteous,  and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his !"  lie 
labored  with  great  success  in  Cumberland.  Though  weak 
and  much  afflicted  in  his  breast,  he  held  on  his  way  till 
late  in  the  fall,  when  he  was  obliged  to  stop  traveling. 
He  was  a  welcome  guest  at  the  house  of  a  rich  planter, 
two  miles  west  of  Nashville,  by  the  name  of  James  liock- 
ett,  where  he  remained,  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  the 
family  and  the  visits  of  his  numerous  friends,  till  the 
month  of  February,  1794,  when  he  departed  this  life,  in 
hope  of  eternal  blessedness  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  At 
his  request  he  was  wrapped  in  white  flannel  and  commit- 
ted to  the  silent  grave.  I  often  visited  his  grave  in  1795 
and  1798;  but  I  suppose  since  that  day  strangers  are  in 
the  possession  of  the  premises,  and  every  vestige  of  the 
spot  where  he  lies  is  obliterated,  and,  with  the  exception 
of  a  few,  his  name  is  forgotten.  It  is  now  forty-five 
years  since  Henry  Burchet  ceased  to  labor  and  to  live. 
"Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord  from  hence- 
forth, saith  the  Spirit;  for  they  rest  from  their  labors,  and 
their  works  follow  them." 

James  Haw  must  next  claim  our  attention.  He  was 
the  first  traveling  Methodist  preacher  that  entered  on  the 
field  in  Kentucky  in  1786.  He  was  an  able  and  success- 
ful laborer  in  the  Lord's  vineyard.  Numerous  were  the 
sufferings  and  hardships  that  he  underwent  in  planting 
the  standard  of  the  cross  in  that  wild  and  uncultivated 
region,  surrounded  with  savages,  and  traveling  from  fort 
to  fort,  and  every  day  exposing  his  life;  and,  notwith- 
standing every  difficulty  and  embarrassment,  the  good 
work  progressed.  In  the  years  1787, 1788,  and  1789  the 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  71 

holy  flame  spread  all  over  Kentucky  and  Cumberland. 
Haw,  Poythress,  Wilson  Lee,  and  Williamson  were  the 
chief  instruments  in  carrying  on  this  great  work.  We 
may  gather  something  from  a  letter  written  by  James 
Haw  to  Bishop  Asbury  in  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1789. 

It  reads:  "Good  news  from  Zion;  the  work  of  God  is 
going  on  rapidly  in  the  new  world;  a  glorious  victory  the 
Son  of  God  has  gained,  and  he  is  still  going  on  conquer- 
ing and  to  conquer.  Shout,  ye  angels !  Hell  trembles 
and  heaven  rejoices  daily  over  sinners  that  repent.  At  a 
quarterly  meeting  held  in  Bourbon  county,  Kentucky, 
July  19th  and  20th,  1788,  the  Lord  poured  out  his  Spirit 
in  a  wonderful  manner,  first  on  the  Christians,  and  sanc- 
tified several  of  them  powerfully  and  gloriously,  and,  as  I 
charitably  hope,  wholly.  The  seekers  also  felt  the  power 
and  presence  of  God,  and  cried  for  mercy  as  at  the  point 
of  death.  We  prayed  with  and  for  them,  till  we  had 
reason  to  believe  that  the  Lord  converted  seventeen  or 
eighteen  precious  souls.  Halleluiah,  praise  ye  the  Lord ! 

"As  I  went  from  that  through  the  circuit  to  another 
quarterly  meeting,  the  Lord  converted  two  or  three  more. 
The  Saturday  and  Sunday  following  the  Lord  poured  out 
his  Spirit  again.  The  work  of  sanctification  among  the 
believers  broke  out  again  at  the  Lord's  table,  and  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  went  through  the  assembly  like  a 
mighty  rushingVind.  Some  fell;  many  cried  for  mercy. 
Sighs  and  groans  proceeded  from  their  hearts;  tears  of 
sorrow  for  sin  ran  streaming  down  their  eyes.  Their 
prayers  reached  to  heaven,  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
entered  into  them  and  filled  fourteen  or  fifteen  with  peace 
and  joy  in  believing.  'Salvation,  0  the  joyful  sound; 
how  the  echo  flies !'  A  few  days  after  brother  Poythress 
came  and  went  with  me  to  another  quarterly  meeting. 
We  had  another  gracious  season  round  the  Lord's  table, 


2  SKETCHES   OF 

but  no  remarkable  stir  till  after  preaching;  when  under 
several  exbortations  some  bursted  out  into  tears,  others 
trembled,  and  some  fell.  I  sprang  in  among  tbe  people, 
and  the  Lord  converted  one  more  very  powerfully,  who 
praised  tbe  Lord  witb  such  acclamation  of  joy  as  I  trust 
will  never  be  forgotten.  The  Sunday  following  I  preached 
my  farewell  sermon  and  met  the  class,  and  the  Lord  con- 
verted three  more.  Glory  be  to  his  holy  name  forever ! 

"The  first  round  I  went  on  Cumberland  the  Lord  con- 
verted six  precious  souls,  and  I  joined  three  gracious 
Baptists  to  our  Church;  and  every  round,  I  have  reason 
to  believe,  some  sinners  are  awakened,  some  seekers 
joined  to  society,  and  some  penitents  converted  to  God. 
At  our  Cumberland  quarterly  meeting  the  Lord  converted 
six  souls  the  first  day,  and  one  the  next.  Glory,  honor, 
praise,  and  power  be  unto  God  forever !  The  work  still 
goes  on.  I  have  joined  two  more  serious  Baptists  since 
the  quarterly  meeting.  The  Lord  has  converted  several 
more  precious  souls  in  various  parts  of  the  circuit,  and 
some  more  have  joined  tbe  society,  so  that  we  have  one 
bundred  and  twelve  disciples  now  in  Cumberland — forty- 
seven  of  whom,  I  trust,  have  received  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  since  they  believed;  and  I  hope  these  are  but 
the  first  of  a  universal  harvest  which  God  will  give  us  in 
this  country.  Brother  Massie  is  with  me,  going  on 
weeping  over  sinners,  and  the  Lord  blesses  his  labors.  A 
letter  from  brother  Williamson,  dated  November  10th, 
1788,  informs  me  that  the  work  is  still  going  on  rapidly 
in  Kentucky;  that  at  two  quarterly  meetings  since  I 
came  away,  the  Lord  poured  out  his  Spirit,  and  converted 
ten  penitents  and  sanctified  five  believers,  at  the  first,  and 
twenty  more  were  converted  at  tbe  second;  indeed,  the 
wilderness  and  solitary  places  are  glad,  and  the  desert 
rejoices  and  blossoms  as  the  rose,  and,  I  trust,  will  soon 
become  beautiful  as  Tirza  and  comely  as  Jerusalem. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  73 

"What  shall  I  more  say?  Time  would  fail^to  tell  you 
all  the  Lord's  doings  among  us.  It  is  marvelous  in  our 
eyes.  To  him  be  the  glory,  honor,  praise,  power,  might, 
majesty,  and  dominion,  both  now  and  forever,  amen  and 
amen! 

"P.  S.  Some  of  our  responsible  members  of  Cumber- 
land have  formerly  lived  at  a  place  called  Natchez,  on  the 
Mississippi  river,  then  under  the  British,  now  under  the 
Government  of  Spain.  There  are,  they  say,  six  or  seven 
hundred  American  families  there  who  have  no  Protestant 
minister  of  any  kind,  and  I  fear  are  perishing  for  want 
of  the  bread  of  life.  I  expect  to  know  by  the  spring  if 
there  be  free  and  full  toleration  for  the  Protestant  relig- 
ion there,  and  if  there  be  to  make  the  report  to  the  con- 
ference." 

The  conference  year  of  1789  closed  the  labors  of  James 
Haw  in  Kentucky.  The  superintendence  of  the  work  waa 
now  altogether  under  the  direction  of  F.  Poythress,  both 
in  Kentucky  and  Cumberland.  The  circuits  were  well 
supplied  in  1790 :  Danville,  Thomas  Williamson,  Stephen 
Brooks;  Cumberland,  Wilson  Lee,  James  Haw,  Peter 
Massie;  Madison,  Barnabas  M'Henry,  Benjamin  Snellingj 
Limestone,  Samuel  Tucker,  Joseph  Lillard;  Lexington, 
Henry  Burchet,  David  Haggard.  Methodism  still  found 
favor  in  the  eyes  of  the  people,  and  the  good  work  pro- 
gressed, and  numbers  were  added  to  the  societies ;  and  the 
circuits  were  enlarged  in  proportion  as  the  immigration 
increased  and  new  settlements  were  formed.  In  the 
course  of  three  years  the  increase  was  rising  one  thou- 
sand. In  1794,  the  year  of  Wayne's  campaign,  the  work 
declined  very  much,  and  many  turned  aside  from  the 
right  way.  Discipline  was  strictly  attended  to,  and  many 
expelled  from  the  societies.  The  Indian  war  having 
terminated  the  people  began  to  scatter  in  every  direction. 
New  settlements  were  formed,  and  Ohio  and  Indiana 
7 


74:  SKETCHES    OF 

began  to  settle  rapidly,  and  the  societies  many  of  them 
were  broken  up,  and  we  had  not  preachers  sufficient  to 
follow  the  tide  of  emigration  to  their  new  settlements ; 
consequently,  we  had  a  considerable  decrease  of  members 
in  the  year  1795  and  till  1801,  when  the  great  revival 
commenced  and  spread  throughout  all  the  western  coun- 
try; so  that  at  the  end  of  the  conference  year  1802,  we 
had  doubled  our  numbers  from  that  of  1795.  The  revival 
also  produced  a  great  iiu-rease  of  local  and  traveling 
preachers. 

The  conference  year  of  1801  commenced  a  new  era  in 
the  west.  Mr.  Asbury  changed  the  name  of  the  confer- 
ence from  that  of  Kentucky  to  that  of  the  Western  con- 
ference, which  embraced  all  the  western  eountry  then 
occupied  by  the  Methodists;  and  William  M'Kendreo 
was  appointed  presiding  elder.  The  circuits  that  com- 
posed the  conference,  and  the  preachers  stationed  this 
year,  were  as  follows:  Scioto  and  Miami,  Henry  Smith; 
Limestone,  Benjamin  Lakin ;  llinkston  and  Lexington, 
William  Burke,  Thomas  Wilkcrson,  and  Lewis  Hunt; 
Danville,  Hezekiah  Harraman ;  Salt  lliver  and  Shelby, 
John  Sale  and  William  Marsh;  Cumberland,  John  Page, 
Benjamin  Young;  Green,  Samuel  Douthel,  Ezckiel  Bur- 
dine;  Holston  and  Russell,  James  Hunter;  New  Hive r, 
John  Watson.  In  the  commencement  of  this  year  the 
appearance  was  rather  gloomy  in  different  sections  of  the 
work.  The  district  was  very  largo,  and  the  presiding 
elder  could  not  perform  his  round  in  less  than  six  months. 

The  spring  of  1801  the  quarterly  meetings  in  Ken- 
tucky were  held  without  the  presiding  elder.  The  quar- 
terly meeting  for  Ilirikston  circuit  was  held  early  in  June, 
at  Owens's  meeting-house,  Four-mile  creek,  commencing 
on  Friday  and  breaking  up  on  Monday  morning.  At  this 
meeting  was  the  first  appearance  of  that  astonishing 
revival  to  which  we  have  alluded.  Several  pi-ofessed  to 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  75 

get  religion,  and  many  were  under  deep  conviction  for 
sin,  and  the  meeting  continued  from  Sunday  morning  till 
Monday  morning,  with  but  little  intermission.  From 
thence  brother  Lakin  and  myself  proceeded  in  company, 
on  Monday  morning,  to  a  Presbyterian  sacrament,  at 
Salem  meeting-house,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Col.  John 
Martin's.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Lylc  was  pastor  of  that  Church. 
There  had  been  during  the  occasion  more  than  ordinary 
attention  and  seriousness  manifested.  I  arrived  on  the 
ground  before  the  first  sermon  was  concluded,  and  during 
the  interval  they  insisted  on  my  preaching  the  next  ser- 
mon; and,  notwithstanding  I  was  much  fatigued  from  the 
labors  of  the  quarterly  meeting,  I  at  length  consented, 
and  commenced  about  two  o'clock,  P.  M.  I  took  for  my 
text,  "  To  you  is  the  word  of  this  salvation  sent  ;"  and 
before  I  concluded  there  was  a  great  trembling  among 
the  dry  bones.  Great  numbers  fell  to  the  ground  and 
cried  for  mercy,  old  and  young.  Brother  Lakin  followed 
with  one  of  his  then  powerful  exhortations,  and  the  work 
increased.  The  Presbyterian  ministers  stood  astonished, 
not  knowing  what  to  make  of  such  a  tumult.  Brother 
Lakin  and  myself  proceeded  to  exhort  and  pray  with 
them.  Some  obtained  peace  with  God  before  the  meet- 
ing broke  up.  This  was  the  first  appearance  of  the  revi- 
val in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  From  these  two  meet- 
ings the  heavenly  flame  spread  in  every  direction. 
Preachers  and  people,  when  they  assembled  for  meeting, 
always  expected  the  Lord  to  meet  with  them.  Our  next 
quarterly  meeting  was  for  Lexington  circuit,  at  Jesse 
Griffith's,  Scott  county.  On  Saturday  we  had  some  indi- 
cations of  a  good  work.  On  Saturday  night  we  had 
preaching  in  different  parts  of  the  neighborhood,  which 
at  that  time  was  the  custom ;  so  that  every  local  preacher 
and  cxhorter  was  employed  in  the  work.  Success  at- 
tended the  meetings,  and  on  Sunday  morning  they  came 


76  SKETCHES   OF 

in  companies  singing  and  shouting  on  the  road.  Love- 
feast  was  opened  on  Sunday  morning  at  eight  o'clock, 
and  such  was  the  power  and  presence  of  God  that  the 
doors  were  thrown  open,  and  the  work  became  general, 
and  continued  till  Monday  afternoon,  during  which  time 
mnnbers  experienced  justification  by  faith  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.  The  work  spread  now  into  the  several 
circuits.  Salt  liiver  and  Shelby  were  visited,  and  Dan- 
ville shared  in  the  blessing;  also  the  Presbyterian 
Church  caught  the  fire.  Congregations  were  universally 
wakened  up:  M'Namer's  congregation  on  Cabin  creek; 
Barton  Stone's  at  Cane  Ridge;  lleyuolds's  near  RuddeH's 
Station  and  in  Paris ;  liev.  Mr.  Lisle  at  Salem ;  Mr. 
Rankin,  Walnut  Hills ;  Mr.  131ythe  at  Lexington  and 
Woodford;  and  llev.  Mr.  Walsh  at  Cane  run;  likewise 
in  Madison  county,  under  the  ministry  of  the  llev.  Mr. 
Houston.  The  work  extended  to  Ohio  at  Lower  Spring- 
field, Hamilton  county;  llev.  Mr.  Thompson's  congrega- 
tion and  Eagle  creek ;  Rev.  Mr.  Dunlavey's  congregation, 
Adams  county.  The  Methodist  local  preachers  and 
exhorters,  and  the  members  generally,  united  with  them 
in  carrying  on  the  work,  for  they  were  at  home  wher- 
ever God  was  pleased  to  manifest  his  power ;  and  having 
had  some  experience  in  such  a  school,  were  able  to  teach 
others.  The  Presbyterian  ministers  saw  the  advantage 
of  such  auxiliaries,  and  were  pressing  in  their  invita- 
tions, both  for  the  traveling  and  local  preachers,  to 
attend  their  sacraments  through  the  months  of  July  and 
August.  The  Rev.  Barton  Stone  was  pastor  of  the 
Church  at  Cane  Ridge.  I  had  been  formerly  acquainted 
with  him  when  he  traveled  as  a  missionary  in  the  Hol- 
ston  and  Cumberland  country,  previous  to  his  settling  at 
Cane  Ridge ;  and  we  agreed  to  have  a  united  sacrament 
of  the  Presbyterians  and  Methodists  at  Cane  Ridge  meet- 
ing-house, in  August.  The  meeting  was  published, 


WE8TEKN     METHODISM.  77 

throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  country,  tc 
commence  on  Friday.  On  the  first  day  I  arrived  in  the 
neighborhood;  but  it  was  a  rainy  day,  and  I  did  not 
attend  on  the  ground.  On  Saturday  morning  I  attended. 
On  Friday  and  Friday  night  they  held  meeting  in  the 
meeting  house ;  and  such  was  the  power  and  presence  of 
God  on  Friday  night  that  the  meeting  continued  all 
night;  and  next  morning,  Saturday,  they  repaired  to  a 
stand  erected  in  the  woods,  the  work  still  going  on  in  the 
house,  which  continued  there  till  Wednesday,  without 
intermission.  On  Saturday  the  congregation  was  very 
numerous.  The  Presbyterians  continued  to  occupy  the 
stand  during  Saturday  and  Saturday  night,  whenever 
they  could  get  a  chance  to  be  heard ;  but  never  invited 
any  Methodist  preacher  to  preach.  On  Sunday  morning 
Mr.  Stone,  with  some  of  the  elders  of  the  session,  waited 
upon  me  to  have  a  conference  on  the  subject  of  the 
approaching  sacrament,  which  was  to  be  administered  in 
the  afternoon.  The  object  in  calling  on  me  was,  that  I 
should  make  from  the  stand  a  public  declaration  how 
the  Methodists  held  certain  doctrines,  etc.  I  told  them 
we  preached  every  day,  and  that  our  doctrines  were  pub- 
lished to  the  world  through  the  press.  Come  and  hear, 
go  and  read ;  and  if  that  was  the  condition  on  which  we 
were  to  unite  in  the  sacrament,  "Every  man  to  his  tent, 

0  Israel;"  for  I  should  require  of  him  to  make  a  public 
declaration  of  their  belief  in  certain  doctrines.     He  then 
replied  that  we  had  better  drop  the  subject ;  that  he  was 
perfectly  satisfied,  but  that  some  of  his  elders  were  not. 

1  observed  that  they  might  do  as  they  thought  best ;  but 
the  subject  got  out  among  the  Methodists,  and  a  number 
did  not  partake  of  the  sacrament,  as  none  of  our  preach- 
ers were  invited  to  assist  in  administering. 

There  is  a  mistaken  opinion  with  regard  to  this  meet- 
ing.    Some  writers  of  late  represent  it  as  having  been  a 

7* 


78  6  .K.  E  T  C  H  E  S    O  F 

camp  meeting.  It  is  true  there  were  a  number  of  wag- 
ons and  carriages,  which  remained  on  the  ground  night 
and  day;  but  not  a  single  tent  was  to  be  found,  neither 
was  any  such  thing  as  camp  meetings  heard  of  at  that 
time.  Preaching  in  the  woods  was  a  common  thing  at 
popular  meetings,  as  meeting-houses  in  the  west  were  not 
sufficient  to  hold  the  large  number  of  people  that  at- 
tended on  such  occasions.  This  was  the  case  at  Cane 
Bidge. 

On  Sunday  morning,  when  I  came  on  the  ground,  I  was 
met  by  my  friends,  to  know  if  I  was  going  to  preach  for 
them  on  that  day.  I  told  them  I  had  not  been  invited ; 
if  I  was,  I  should  certainly  do  so.  The  morning  passed 
off,  but  no  invitation.  Between  ten  and  eleven  I  found  a 
convenient  place  on  the  body  of  a  fallen  tree,  about  fif- 
teen feet  from  the  grouud,  where  I  fixed  my  stand  in  the 
open  sun,  with  an  umbrella  affixed  to  a  long  pole  and  held 
over  my  head  by  brother  Hugh  Barnes.  I  commenced 
reading  a  hymn  with  an  audible  voice,  and  by  the  time 
we  concluded  singing  and  praying  we  had  around  us, 
standing  on  their  feet,  by  fair  calculation  ten  thousand 
people.  I  gave  out  my  text  in  the  following  words  :  "  For 
we  must  all  stand  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ/' 
and  before  I  concluded  my  voice  was  not  to  be  heard  for 
the  groans  of  the  distressed  and  the  shouts  of  triumph. 
Hundreds  fell  prostrate  to  the  ground,  and  the  work  con- 
tinued on  that  spot  till  Wednesday  afternoon.  It  was 
estimated  by  some  that  not  less  than  five  hundred  were  at 
one  time  lying  on  the  ground  in  the  deepest  agonies  of 
distress,  and  every  few  minutes  rising  in  shouts  of  tri- 
umph. Toward  the  evening  I  pitched  the  only  tent  on 
the  ground.  Having  been  accustomed  to  travel  the  wil- 
derness, I  soon  had  a  tent  constructed  out  of  poles  and 
papaw  bushes.  Here  I  remained  Sunday  night,  and 
Monday  and  Monday  night ;  and  during  that  time  there 


METHOU1SM.  79 

was  not  a  single  moment's  cessation,  but  the  work  went 
on,  and  old  and  young,  men,  women,  and  children,  were 
converted  to  God.  It  was  estimated  that  on  Sunday  and 
Sunday  night  there  were  twenty  thousand  people  on  the 
ground.  They  had  come  far  and  near  from  all  parts  of 
Kentucky ;  some  from  Tennessee,  and  from  north  of  the 
Ohio  river;  so  that  tidings  of  Cane  Ridge  meeting  was 
carried  to  almost  every  corner  of  the  country,  and  the 
holy  fire  spread  in  all  directions. 

Immediately  after  this  meeting  the  last  round  of  quar- 
terly meetings  commenced  for  that  conference  year,  and 
they  were  appointed  for  four  days,  to  commence  on  Fri- 
day. The  work  continued,  and  quarterly  meetings  were 
attended  by  thousands,  and  generally  continued  night 
and  day  with  but  little  intermission ;  and  during  the 
week,  at  appointments  in  different  parts  of  the  country, 
we  had  to  preach  in  the  groves  to  thousands  of  people. 
We  gave  invitations  to  all  the  Presbyterian  ministers  to 
unite  with  us  at  our  quarterly  meetings;  but  they  gener- 
ally pleaded  as  an  excuse  that  they  had  appointments  to 
attend,  and  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday  would  pass  off 
without  any  aid  from  them;  but  on  Monday  we  generally 
saw  some  of  their  ministers  in  the  congregation,  but  hav- 
ing our  plans  filled  up  for  that  day  we  consequently  paid 
no  attention  to  them;  for  we  were  fully  satisfied  that 
they  only  wanted  the  Methodists  to  shake  the  bush,  and 
they  would  catch  the  birds.  My  advice  to  our  official 
members  in  quarterly  meeting  conference  was,  to  quietly 
withdraw  from  their  meetings,  and  mind  our  own  busi- 
ness. They  did  so,  and  no  difficulty  occurred  in  any  of 
our  societies.  This  conference  year  ended  with  the 
greatest  prospects  that  had  ever  visited  the  far  west. 

In  the  year  1801  the  Presbyterians  had  some  gracious 
revivals  in  Suinner  county,  Tennessee,  and  Logan  county, 
Kentucky.  The  two  M'Gees,  John — an  old  traveling 


80  SKETCHES    OF 

preacher,  who  had  located  and  settled  on  the  Cumberland 
river — and  his  brother  William,  a  Presbyterian  minister, 
with  two  other  Presbyterians,  Messrs.  Rankin  and  Hodges, 
in  connection  with  brothers  Page  and  Wilkerson,  were 
united  in  carrying  on  the  work  both  among  the  Methodists 
and  Presbyterians;  but  the  conference  of  1802  opened  with 
greater  prospects,  and  the  work  became  universal  in  Ten- 
nessee. The  Presbyterians  appeared  to  have  forgotten 
that  they  had  any  Confession  of  Faith  or  discipline,  and 
the  Methodists  had  laid  aside  their  Discipline,  and 
seemed  to  forget  that  they  were  bound  to  observe  the 
rules  contained  therein,  and  as  established  from  time  to 
time  by  the  General  conference. 

I  visited  the  old  stamping-ground,  Sumner  and  David- 
son counties,  where  I  had  labored  in  1795,  and  again  in 
1798,  and  found  a  great  change.  The  class  meetings 
were  free  to  all;  the  love-feasts  open  to  all;  and  they 
were  mixed  up  in  such  confusion  that  it  was  impossible 
to  tell  to  what  Church  or  denomination  they  belonged. 
The  Western  annual  conference  for  the  year  sat  at  Strau- 
ther's,  in  Sumner  county,  Tennessee.  Bishop  Asbury 
presided.  There  was  a  general  attendance  of  the  preach- 
ers, and  the  conference  sat  in  the  house  of  brother 
Strauther,  and  the  public  exercises  were  in  the  woods  at 
a  stand  in  hearing  of  the  house.  The  conference  and 
the  public  exercises  were  of  the  same  mixed  charac- 
ter. To  my  astonishment,  on  the  first  day  of  the  con- 
ference several  of  the  Presbyterian  clergymen  were  intro- 
duced into  the  conference,  and  remained  during  that 
day.  When  the  conference  adjourned  I  took  brother 
M'Kendree  aside,  and  stated  to  him  my  views  on  the 
impropriety  of  the  course  pursued  in  breaking  down  all 
our  rules  and  regulations  as  Methodists ;  but  especially 
in  our  annual  conference,  I  observed  to  him,  that  many 
of  our  local  brethren,  and  some  who  had  been  traveling 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  81 

preachers  for  years,  were  excluded  a  seat  among  us,  while 
those  ministers  of  another  denomination  were  admitted 
and  not  objected  to.  I  insisted  on  him,  as  the  presiding 
elder,  to  enter  his  objection  when  we  met  the  next  morn- 
ing. He  admitted  it  was  wrong,  but  said  he  could  not 
broach  the  subject,  as  Mr.  Asbury  appeared  to  entertain 
such  favorable  notions  of  the  union  that  then  prevailed. 
I  observed  that  I  was  no  enemy  to  union  and  communion 
with  any  denomination  upon  proper  principles,  and  if  he 
declined  I  would  bring  the  subject  before  the  conference, 
and  accordingly  did  so  on  the  sitting  of  the  conference 
next  morning.  I  stated  my  objections  at  length,  and 
cited  our  Discipline,  and  insisted  that  our  rules  estab- 
lished class  meetings  and  love-feasts  as  wise  and  pruden- 
tial means,  and  that  they  were  peculiar  to  the  Methodist 
Church.  Other  denominations  did  not  consider  them 
either  wise  or  prudential,  or  they  would  introduce  them 
into  their  Churches ;  and  why  should  they  wish  to  in- 
trude on  our  privileges,  while  they,  by  their  own  show- 
ing, considered  them  no  privilege?  and  in  regard  to  the 
annual  conference,  the  Discipline  clearly  pointed  out  who 
had  the  right  to  a  place  in  their  sittings,  etc.  Mr.  As- 
bury decidedly  opposed  my  views,  and  stated  to  the  con- 
ference that  I  was  but  a  young  man,  and  referred  the 
conference  to  some  of  Mr.  Wesley's  views  and  conduct 
on  like  occasions.  No  member  of  the  conference  took 
sides  with  me,  but  all  remained  silent;  and  when  Mr. 
Asbury  concluded  his  remarks,  I  made  my  rejoinder,  and 
acknowledged  that  I  was  but  a  junior,  but  thought  I 
understood  Methodist  Discipline,  and  that  as  a  Church 
we  were  not  to  be  governed  by  Mr.  Wesley's  views  or  the 
views  of  any  other  man,  however  aged,  but  by  the  rules 
laid  down  by  the  General  conference ;  and  if  the  Presby- 
terians, or  any  other  denomination,  had  a  desire  to  enjoy 
what  we  esteemed  privileges,  let  them  adopt  them  in 


82  SKETCHES    OF 

their  Churches,  and  then  we  would  reciprocate,  and  not 
till  then.  When  I  concluded  my  observations  I  requested 
Mr.  Asbury  to  give  me  my  appointment  in  this  country, 
and  I  assured  him  I  would  soon  put  a  stop  to  the  present 
mode  of  doing  business.  He  observed  that  I  was  too 
cold  for  that  climate;  that  I  should  go  further  north. 
And  here  our  controversy  ended;  but  we  had  no  more 
Presbyterian  ministers  during  the  sitting  of  conference. 
Mr.  Asbury  was  at  that  time  not  able  to  walk  alone,  from 
a  rheumatic  affection  in  his  feet,  and  brother  M'Kendree 
had  to  accompany  him  to  the  Holston  country;  and  after 
they  arrived  in  the  settlement  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Knoxville,  the  subject  of  what  I  had  said  at  conference 
was  brought  up,  and  Mr.  Asbury  acknowledged  that  I  had 
taken  the  proper  ground,  and  wrote  me  on  the  subject, 
stating  that  reciprocity  was  the  true  doctrine.  He  also 
wrote  to  Mr.  Kankin  and  Mr.  Hodges  his  views,  and  at 
the  next  conference  at  Mount  Gerizini,  1803,  he  preached 
that  doctrine  to  the  conference. 

From  the  conference  at  Strauther's,  October,  1802,  I 
received  my  appointment  on  Limestone  circuit  alone.  I 
was  appointed  at  the  conference  to  attend  the  Legislature 
of  Kentucky  and  obtain  an  act  of  incorporation  for 
Bethel  Academy.  I  performed  that  duty  and  arrived  on 
my  circuit  late  in  November.  I  took  with  me  Adjet 
M'Guire,  a  young  man  that  had  been  lately  licensed  to 
preach,  and  employed  him  as  a  helper,  which  was  after- 
ward sanctioned  by  the  presiding  elder.  When  I  entered 
upon  my  circuit,  I  found  that,  to  a  very  great  extent,  the 
people  were  prejudiced  against  a  married  preacher,  and  I 
could  find  no  house  open  at  which  I  could  board  my 
wife,  either  for  love  or  money.  In  this  state  of  affairs  I 
was  brought  to  a  stand.  I  had  some  little  money,  and 
found  a  few  friends;  and  in  those  days  I  considered  my- 
self equal  to  any  emergency,  and  immediately  set  about 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  83 

cutting  logs  for  a  cabin,  and  a  few  friends  assisted  me  in 
getting  them  together,  and  I  purchased  some  plank  and 
brick,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  had  a  snug  little 
room  fitted  up  adjoining  brother  L.  Fitch's,  about  three 
miles  from  Flemingsburg.  During  the  time  I  was  build- 
ing my  cabin  I  attended  my  Sunday  appointments,  and 
through  the  week  attended  to  my  work  and  collecting 
materials  to  fit  out  my  cabin ;  and  having  accomplished 
that  business,  I  entered  regularly  upon  iny  work.  The 
circuit  had  been  much  neglected  the  past  year,  and  relig- 
ion was  at  a  low  ebb,  and  we  commenced  in  good  earnest. 
The  winter  was  severe  and  the  congregations  but  small. 
On  the  opening  of  spring  I  commenced  two  days'  meet- 
ings, and  called  together  the  local  preachers  to  my  aid. 
Early  in  June  we  had  a  two  days'  meeting  at  Union  meet- 
ing-house, not  far  from  German  town;  and  on  that  occa- 
sion it  pleased  God  to  manifest  his  power  in  a  very  singu- 
lar manner  on  Sunday,  and  the  first-fruits  was  the  con- 
version of  brother  Petticord's  oldest  daughter.  Brother 
Petticord  was  one  of  the  first  race  of  Methodists  from 
Frederick  county^  Maryland,  and  a  relative  of  Caleb  B. 
Petticord,  who  was  admitted  on  trial  as  a  traveling 
preacher  in  1777.  This  meeting  continued  on  Sunday 
night  and  part  of  Monday,  and  numbers  were  seriously 
affected.  From  this  meeting  the  holy  flame  spread  in 
every  direction,  and  the  work  became  general  throughout 
the  circuit,  at  Bracken  meeting-house,  and  Shannon,  and 
Flemingsburg,  and  Locust  meeting-house,  and  at  private 
houses,  and  our  congregations  became  crowded  night  and 
day. 

In  August  we  had  a  four  days'  meeting  at  Shannon 
meeting-house.  This  was  a  time  that  numbers  still  liv- 
ing well  remember.  This  meeting  continued  night  and 
day,  without  intermission.  I  was  employed  night  and 
day  without  sleeping  for  three  nights.  Brother  M'Ken- 


84  SKETCHES    OF 

dree  preached  on  Monday  morning,  and  while  he  was 
preaching  the  power  of  God  rested  on  the  congregation; 
and  about  the  middle  of  his  sermon  it  came  down  upon 
him  in  such  a  manner  that  he  sank  down  into  my  arms 
while  sitting  behind  him  in  the  pulpit.  His  silence 
called  every  eye  to  the  pulpit.  I  instantly  raised  him  up 
to  his  feet,  and  the  congregation  said  his  face  beamed 
with  glory.  He  shouted  out  the  praise  of  God,  and  it 
appeared  like  an  electric  shock  in  the  congregation. 
Many  fell  to  the  floor  like  men  slain  in  the  field  of  battle. 
The  meeting  continued  till  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  wit- 
nesses were  raised  up  to  declare  that  God  had  power  on 
earth  to  forgive  sin,  and  many  did  say  he  could  cleanse 
from  all  unrighteousness.  From  this  meeting  the  work 
went  on  with  astonishing  power;  hundreds  were  con- 
verted to  God;  and  one  of  the  most  pleasing  features  of 
this  revival  was,  that  almost  all  the  children  of  the  old, 
faithful  Methodists  were  the  subjects  of  the  work. 

Our  last  quarterly  meeting  was  at  Flemingsburg,  at 
which  brother  Nicholas  Snethen  and  brother  M'Kendree 
attended,  and  preached  in  the  power  and  demonstration 
of  the  Spirit.  It  was  a  time  long  to  be  remembered. 
There  was  one  peculiar  circumstance  which  I  will  relate. 
Old  father  Duzan,  who  had  raised  a  numerous  family  of 
sons  and  daughters,  and  then  had  a  son  in  the  traveling 
connection,  was  surrounded  by  his  family  and  engaged  in 
prayer  on  the  ground.  Presently  he  was  seen  supporting 
his  youngest  son,  and  proclaiming  aloud  to  those  around, 
"  Glory  to  God,  he  has  converted  my  last  child.  Now  let 
me,  thy  servant,  depart  in  peace;  for  my  eyes  have  seen 
thy  salvation."  This  conference  year  closed  with  an 
increase  for  Limestone  circuit  of  about  five  hundred. 
The  people  were  anxious  for  my  return  for  the  next  year. 
There  were  now  houses  enough  open  to  receive  me  to  live 
in  and  cost  me  nothing.  The  preachers  who  united  in 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  85 

carrying  on  this  work,  were  Benjamin  Northcott,  Jamea 
O'CulI,  Jarvis  Taylor,  Joshua  Sargent,  Jeremiah  Lawson, 
Hugh  Barnes,  and  Richard  Tilton,  together  with  many 
exhorters  and  leaders,  who  entered  heartily  into  the  work. 
This  year  ended  the  happiest  days  of  my  itinerant  life; 
for  the  happiest  days  of  a  Methodist  preacher  is  to  be  on 
a  circuit  where  he  can  pursue  a  regular  course  and  preach 
every  day.  I  had  the  honor  of  lodging  the  Bishop  one 
night,  in  the  log-cabin  I  had  built,  while  on  his  way  to 
conference. 

The  conference  this  year  was  at  Mount  Gerizim,  Octo- 
ber 2, 1803.  At  this  conference  Mr.  Asbury  insisted  that 
I  should  cross  the  Ohio  and  take  upon  me  the  formation 
of  a  new  district  in  that  new  and  wilderness  country,  and 
act  as  presiding  elder.  I  took  several  days  to  think  on 
the  subject,  and  gave  him  for  answer,  that  I  considered 
myself  not  sufficiently  qualified  for  such  a  responsible  un- 
dertaking; but  he  would  not  take  no  for  an  answer,  but 
appointed  me  presiding  elder  of  Ohio  district,  which 
included  all  the  settlements  from  the  Big  Miami  up  to 
the  neighborhood  of  Steubenville,  which  was  then  called 
West  Wheeling  circuit,  running  down  the  Ohio,  includ- 
ing Little  Kanawha  and  Guyandotte  circuits,  in  Virginia, 
and  some  settlements  on  Licking,  in  the  state  of  Ken- 
tucky. 

I  entered  upon  my  work  about  the  last  of  October, 
1803.  The  first  quarterly  meeting  was  at  Ward's  meet- 
ing-house— a  new  house  built  of  rough  beech  logs — on 
Duck  creek,  Hamilton  county,  near  where  Madisonville  is 
now  situated — John  Sale  and  Joseph  Oglesby  were  the 
circuit  preachers.  This  was  then  called  the  Miami  cir- 
cuit, and  included  all  the  settlements  between  the  Mi- 
amis  and  as  far  north  including  the  settlements  on  Mad 
river,  as  high  up  as  the  neighborhood  where  Urbana  now 
stands,  and  east  of  the  Little  Miami  as  high  up  as  the 
8 


86  SKETCHES    OF 

settlements  on  Bullskin,  and  all  the  settlements  on  the 
East  Fork  of  the  Little  Miami,  and  a  few  settlements  in 
Campbell  county,  Kentucky.  This  route  the  preachers 
accomplished  in  six  weeks.  We  organized  two  quarterly 
meetings  in  the  bounds,  so  that  the  presiding  elder  was 
two  weeks  in  the  bounds  of  the  circuit,  preaching  nearly 
every  day.  The  most  easterly  appointment  was  at  brother 
Boggs's,  on  the  Little  Miami,  a  few  miles  from  the  Yellow 
Springs.  From  that  point  we  generally  started  at  day- 
light for  the  settlements  on  the  Scioto,  having  between 
forty  and  fifty  miles,  without  a  house,  to  the  first  inhabit- 
ants at  old  Chilicothe.  The  Scioto  circuit  included  all 
that  tract  of  country  inhabited  on  Paint  creek  out  to 
New  Market,  Brush  creek,  Eagle  creek,  and  Ohio  Brush 
creek,  and  up  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth  of  Scioto,  and  then 
up  the  Scioto  to  the  Pickaway  Plains,  including  Chili- 
cothe and  the  settlements  on  White's  creek,  a  four  weeks' 
circuit.  From  thence  one  day's  ride  to  the  settlements 
in  Hocking  Valley,  which  was  called  Hocking  circuit, 
which  laid  principally  on  that  river  and  its  tributaries, 
and  a  few  settlements  on  the  waters  of  Walnut  creek. 
From  New  Lancaster  we  generally  took  two  days  and  a 
half  to  reach  the  bounds  of  West  Wheeling  circuit,  in 
the  neighborhood  where  St.  Clairsville  is  now  located. 
This  was  a  four  weeks'  cii'cuit,  including  the  settlements 
on  the  Ohio  river,  and  extending  back  to  the  frontier  set- 
tlements on  the  West  Wheeling  and  Short  creeks,  etc. 
From  this  point  we  returned  by  the  same  route  to  New 
Lancaster,  and  then  down  the  Hocking  to  Sunday  creek 
and  Monday  creek,  and  then  over  to  Marietta  circuit. 
This  circuit  was  up  and  down  the  Ohio  from  Marietta  as 
low  down  as  the  settlements  were  formed,  and  up  to  the 
head  of  Long  Reach,  and  up  the  Muskinguin  river  as 
far  as  Clover  Bottom  and  Wolf  creek,  and  so  down  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Marietta,  and  over  the  Ohio  into  Vir- 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  87 

ginia  on  the  waters  of  the  Little  Kanawha.  This  was 
called  the  Muskingura  and  Little  Kanawha  circuits.  It 
was  but  a  three  weeks'  circuit,  and  had  one  preacher. 
From  the  neighborhood  of  Marietta  we  started  down  the 
Ohio  river  by  way  of  Graham's  Station  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Great  Kanawha,  and  down  to  Green  Bottom — brother 
Spurlock's — which  was  the  first  appointment  on  Guyan- 
dotte  circuit.  This  circuit  contained  all  the  territory 
south  and  west  of  the  Great  Kanawha,  and  down  to  the 
mouth  of  Big  Sandy  and  the  settlements  back  from  the 
Ohio  river.  This  was  a  field  of  labor  that  required  about 
.eleven  weeks  to  accomplish,  and  many  privations.  The 
Methodists  were,  in  those  days,  like  angels'  visits,  few 
and  far  between,  and  we  were  half  our  time  obliged  to 
put  up  in  taverns  and  places  of  entertainment,  subject  to 
the  disorder  and  abuse  of  the  unprincipled  and  half-civ- 
ilized inmates,  suffering  with  hunger  and  cold,  and  sleep- 
ing in  open  cabins  on  the  floor,  sometimes  without  bed  or 
covering,  and  but  little  prospect  of  any  support  from  the 
people  among  whom  we  labored,  and  none  from  any  other 
source ;  for  there  was  no  provision  in  those  days  for  mis- 
sionaries. But,  notwithstanding  all  the  privations  and 
sufferings  that  we  endured,  we  had  the  consolation  that 
our  labor  was  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  We  were  gratified 
in  having  souls  for  our  hire,  and  rejoiced  to  see  the  wil- 
derness blossom  as  the  rose.  New  societies  sprang  up  in 
various  places,  the  circuits  were  enlarged,  immigration 
increased,  and  the  forest  was  subdued,  and  comforts  mul- 
tiplied. In  the  fall  of  1805  I  was  removed  from  the 
Ohio  district  to  the  Kentucky  district,  and  brother  John 
Sale  was  appointed  my  successor.  The  Western  confer- 
ence for  this  year  was  held  at  brother  Houstin's,  in  Scott 
county,  Kentucky,  October  2d.  Bishops  Asbury  and 
Whatcoat  attended  at  this  conference.  Our  borders  be- 
came greatly  enlarged.  We  now  included  in  the  Western 


88  SKETCHES    OF 

conference  five  districts,  stretching  from  the  Muskingum, 
in  Ohio,  to  the  Opelousas,  in  Louisiana. 

The  two  years  that  I  presided  in  the  Ohio  district  laid 
the  foundation  for  tho  future  success  of  Methodism.  We 
had  been  successful  in  introducing  our  doctrines  into 
almost  every  neighborhood,  and  this  formed  a  nucleus  for 
the  immigrants  that  were  constantly  arriving  in  the  coun- 
try. Numbers  of  Methodists  from  Virginia,  Maryland, 
Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  and  the  eastern  states,  settled 
in  the  Miami,  Scioto,  Hocking,  and  Muskingum  Valleys, 
and  a  goodly  number  of  valuable  local  preachers  settled 
among  them,  and  united  with  us  in  carrying  on  the 
good  work  of  God,  under  the  superintendence  of  divine 
Providence.  Numbers  of  young  men  were  raised  up  in 
different  sections  of  the  western  country,  and  entered 
the  missionary  field  full  of  zeal,  and  eminently  pious, 
and  by  this  means  we  were  enabled  to  follow  immigration 
and  the  wide-spread  settlements. 

In  1804  the  number  of  circuits  in  the  Western  confer- 
ence was  twenty-six,  and  the  number  of  preachers  sta- 
tioned was  thirty-seven,  and  but  one  district  in  Ohio.  In 
1810,  which  included  brother  Sale's  four  years  on  Ohio 
district,  the  work  had  extended,  and  there  were  three 
districts  north-west  of  the  Ohio  river,  and  twenty-one 
circuits ;  number  of  preachers,  thirty-one.  The  number 
of  circuits  for  this  year  in  the  Western  conference  was 
fifty-nine,  and  the  number  of  preachers  stationed  was 
eighty-one.  In  1804  the  number  of  members  in  the  Ohio 
district  was  one  thousand,  two  hundred  and  fifteen,  and  in 
the  bounds  of  the  Western  conference,  nine  thousand, 
seven  hundred  and  eighty.  In  1810  the  number  in  Ohio 
was  eight  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  eighty-one;  and 
in  the  bounds  of  the  Western  conference,  twenty-two 
thousand,  nine  hundred  and  four.  Compare  this  with 
1798.  Number  of  preachers  in  Ohio,  John  Kobler; 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  89 

number -of  members,  ninety-nine.  Number  of  preachers 
in  the  bounds  of  the  Western  conference,  fourteen;  and 
the  number  of  members,  two  thousand,  five  hundred  and 
ninety-five.  To  compare  the  present  number  in  the  bounds 
of  Ohio,  in  fifty-six  years  they  increased  from  ninety-nine 
to  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  Surely  this  is 
the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes.  In 
1798  was  the  first  introduction  of  itinerancy  north-west 
of  the  Ohio;  and  one  solitary  pilgrim  passed  over  the 
brook  hunting  up  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel ; 
and  now  behold  them  spread  into  bands,  not  only  in  Ohio, 
but  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Mis- 
souri, Arkansas,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Texas,  Minnesota, 
Nebraska,  Salt  Lake,  Oregon,  and  California,  all  of  which 
at  that  time  was  comparatively  a  vast  howling  wilderness  I 
The  exposure  and  labor  incident  to  my  appointment 
brought  on  severe  attacks  of  bilious  fever.  At  one  time 
my  life  was  despaired  of;  and  in  the  fall  of  1805  Mr. 
Asbury  thought  best  to  remove  me  to  the  Kentucky  dis- 
trict. Here  I  was  among  my  old  friends  with  whom  I 
had  fought  many  a  battle  sore,  and  dried  up  Enon,  near  to 
Salem,  and  caused  the  doctrines  of  unconditional  election 
and  reprobation  to  become  a  stench  in  the  nostrils  of 
those  who  calmly  investigated  the  subject.  I  spent  four 
years  in  that  district  with  great  satisfaction  to  myself,  and 
also  to  the  people  whom  I  was  sent  to  serve.  There  were 
but  a  few  things  that  interrupted  our  harmony  and  peace. 
One  was,  that  in  consequence  of  my  illness  I  could  not 
attend  a  meeting  where  the  sacrament  was  to  be  admin- 
istered. I  sent  a  deacon  with  instructions  to  administer, 
which  was  called  in  question  by  some,  and  complaint 
entered  against  me;  but  I  sustained  the  position  I  had 
taken,  on  the  ground  that  the  deacon  was  directed  to 
assist  the  elder  in  such  cases,  and  I  succeeded  in  my  jus- 
tification. The  other  was,  the  part  I  took  with  the  local 


90  SKETCHES    OF 

preachers  in  advocating  their  right  to  elder's  orders,  which 
was  finally  successful.  In  1807  there  was  a  meeting  of 
the  local  deacons  at  my  house,  at  which  Bishop  Asbury 
was  present,  and  favored  the  plan.  The  agitation  after 
this  meeting  settled  down  quietly,  and  my  opponents 
remained  quiet. 

I  was  next  appointed  to  the  Salt  River  district, "where 
I  remained  two  years,  during  which  time  another  diffi- 
culty arose.  A  traveling  elder  was  accused  of  immo- 
rality ;  and  among  the  charges  and  specifications  were 
some  of  improper  words.  I  examined  the  charges,  and 
for  improper  words  I,  as  his  presiding  elder,  acted  upon 
them  officially,  and  did  not  submit  them  to  the  commit- 
tee, for  which  they  charged  me  at  conference  with  mal- 
administration ;  but  the  conference  sustained  me.  We 
had  in  general  very  good  times  throughout  the  district; 
but  the  field  was  a  large  one,  including  a  very  extensive 
territory;  consequently,  at  the  end  of  two  years  I  was 
willing  to  have  some  better  situation,  and  received  my 
appointment  to  the  Cincinnati  circuit.  Here  I  had  for 
rny  helper  John  Strange.  We  passed  an  agreeable  year; 
and  at  the  conference  held  at  Chilicothe,  in  the  fall  of 
1811,  I  was  appointed  to  Cincinnati  station,  it  being  the 
first  station  in  the  state  of  Ohio.  I  organized  the  sta- 
tion, and  many  of  the  rules  arid  regulations  that  I  estab- 
lished are  still  in  use.  We  had  but  one  church  in  the 
city,  and  it  went  under  the  name  of  the  Stone  Church.  I 
preached  three  times  every  Sunday,  and  on  Wednesday 
night ;  and  while  stationed  in  that  house  nay  voice  failed 
me.  The  Methodists  being  too  poor  to  buy  a  stove  to 
warm  the  house  in  winter,  and  on  Sunday  morning  it 
being  generally  crowded,  their  breath  would  condense  on 
the  walls,  and  the  water  would  run  down  and  across  the 
floor.  The  next  conference  I  did  not  attend,  but  was  ap- 
pointed supernumerary  on  the  Cincinnati  circuit.  I  was 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  91 

not  able  to  do  much,  but  to  give  advice  in  certain  cases. 
This  year  I  closed  iny  itinerancy,  and  sold  my  horse, 
bridle,  saddle-bags,  and  saddle,  and  gathered  up  the 
fragments,  and  the  fortune  that  I  had  made  from  twenty- 
six  years'  labor  amounted  to  three  hundred  dollars. 
From  the  9th  of  January,  1796,  I  traveled  as  a  married 
man,  no  allowance  being  made  for  the  wife.  Part  of  the 
time  sixty-four  dollars  was  allowed  a  traveling  preacher, 
and  he  must  find  his  own  horse  and  fixins,  his  own  ward- 
robe and  that  of  his  wife,  together  with  her  board;  and 
the  other  part  of  the  time  it  was  eighty  dollars,  still 
nothing  for  wife.  I  was  the  first  married  preacher  in  the 
west  who  traveled  after  marrying.  I  met  with  every  dis- 
couragement that  could  be  thrown  in  my  way.  Preachers 
and  people  said,  "You  had  better  locate."  I  shared 
equally  with  the  single  men  when  they  were  on  the  cir- 
cuit with  me,  in  order  to  keep  peace.  I  bore  all  the  mur- 
murings  and  complainings  from  every  quarter,  and  ap- 
peared at  conference  every  year  ready  for  work.  One  win- 
ter I  had  to  use  a  borrowed  blanket  instead  of  a  cloak  or 
overcoat.  That  year  my  wife  was  among  her  relations,  and 
well  taken  care  of.  Now  a  man  is  no  preacher  except  he 
has  a  wife  and  family,  whose  allowance  is  one  hundred 
dollars,  and  wife  the  same,  and  children  provided  for; 
house  rent,  fuel,  and  table  expenses;  the  bishops'  sala- 
ries to  the  full  secured,  and  for  presiding  elders  so  much 
is  apportioned  among  the  circuits  and  stations.  The 
allowance  to  many  of  the  preachers  of  the  present  day 
varies  from  eight  hundred  to  fifteen  hundred  dollars  per 
year,  while  the  poor  superannuate  must  find  his  own 
house,  pay  his  rent,  furnish  his  own  table,  etc.,  and 
receive  from  the  conference  steward  sometimes  fourteen 
and  twenty  dollars,  and  sometimes  as  high  as  forty  dol- 
lars; and  how  can  a  superannuate  keep  soul  and  body 
together  on  that  dividend  ?  I  am  superannuate  in  the 


92  SKETCHES   OF 

Southern  division,  and  know  not  how  I  shall  make  out  to 
live.  My  labors  and  sufferings  to  cultivate  and  prepare 
the  way  for  my  brethren  in  the  Kentucky,  Tennessee, 
and  Ohio  conferences,  are  all  known  to  God  and  the 
Church,  and  my  testimony  is  in  heaven.  None  seem  to 
care  for  my  circumstances  now.  I  am  at  present  in  my 
eighty-fifth  year,  and  can  not  stay  much  longer  in  the 
tabernacle;  but,  through  riches  of  grace  in  Christ  Jesus, 
I  have  for  me  prepared  "a  building  of  God,  a  house 
not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens/' 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  93 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MICHAEL    ELLIS. 

IN  sketching  the  life  of  this  great  and  good  man — we 
say  great,  because  all  true  greatness  must  have  goodness 
for  its  basis,  and  this  he  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree — 
we  regret  that  history  furnishes  us  no  record  of  the  date 
and  place  of  his  birth,  except  that  he  was  born  in  the 
state  of  Maryland.  He  was  among  the  first  that  cm- 
braced  religion  in  that  state  through  the  instrumentality 
of  Wesley's  missionaries.  The  field  was  then  white  unto 
harvest,  and  laborers  were  much  needed  to  gather  that 
harvest ;  hence,  they  were  thrust  out  in  the  order  of  God's 
providence,  in  a  way  that  the  wisdom  of  the  men  of  the 
present  day  would  hardly  allow  to  be  proper.  But  God's 
ways  are  not  our  ways,  neither  are  God's  thoughts  our 
thoughts.  He  who  with  "  a  worm  can  thrash  the  mount- 
ains," can  make  the  feeblest  instrumentality  and  agency 
accomplish  the  mightiest  results.  Thus,  in  the  early 
days  of  Methodism,  men  were  called  to  preach  the  Gos- 
pel, and  thrust  out  into  the  field,  that  even  the  Methodist 
Church  at  the  present  day  would  object  to  as  not  possess- 
ing the  necessary  qualifications  for  such  a  work.  Young 
Ellis  was  thus  called;  and  feeling  that  woe  was  him 
if  he  did  not  preach  the  Gospel,  he  commenced  soon 
after  his  conversion  to  call  sinners  to  repentance.  In 
the  year  1784  he  was  admitted  on  trial  as  a  traveling 
preacher;  and  the  first  appointment  which  appears  on 
the  Minutes  was  the  city  of  Baltimore.  He  may  have 
been  traveling  under  the  elder  some  time  previous  to  the 


94  SKETCHES    OF 

above  date,  as  that  was  the  time  of  his  appointment  to 
Baltimore,  but  of  this  we  have  no  information.  At  the 
same  conference  where  Bishop  Asbury  was  ordained  to 
the  episcopal  office,  he  was  ordained  a  deacon.  This  was 
in  the  year  1785,  and  the  presumption  is,  that  he  was  ad- 
mitted in  the  year  1783. 

The  next  year,  which  was  1786,  he  was  appointed  to 
Frederick  circuit,  and  the  following  year  to  Fairfax,  in 
the  state  of  Virginia,  where  he  was  instrumental,  under 
G-od,  of  accomplishing  much  good  in  the  enlargement  of 
the  Redeemer's  kingdom.  In  the  year  1788,  for  want 
of  that  support  for  his  family  which  the  Chui-ch  could 
not  or  would  not  give,  he  was  obliged  either,  according 
to  apostolic  instruction,  to  "deny  the  faith  and  become 
worse  than  an  infidel  in  not  providing  for  his  own,"  or  to 
leave  the  ministry  and  serve  tables  to  keep  his  family 
from  starvation.  One  duty  can  never  crowd  out  another; 
and  his  first  duty  being  to  feed  and  clothe  his  wife  and 
children,  he  could  not  have  been  either  called  of  God  to 
preach  and  travel  to  their  neglect,  nor  would  God  have 
blessed  his  ministrations  while  thus  engaged.  A  great 
many  zealous  and  efficient  ministers  of  the  Gospel  have 
been  compelled  to  close  their  mission  on  this  account, 
throwing  the  responsibility  upon  the  Church,  where  it 
properly  belongs.  If  they  that  preach  the  Gospel  shall 
live  of  the  Gospel,  according  to  the  ordination  of  heaven, 
that  Church  which  will  muzzle  the  ox,  or,  in  other  words, 
withhold  its  support  from  the  minister,  will  be  held  ac- 
countable in  the  day  of  eternity,  if  not  in  time,  for  its 
gross  neglect  and  dereliction.  In  the  providence  of  God, 
however,  such  Churches  are  usually  visited  in  time  like 
those  of  Asia,  as  Churches  like  nations  are  judged  in 
time.  Does  it  not  meet  the  observation  of  every  one, 
that  those  individual  Churches  who  supply  most  liberally 
the  wants  of  their  pastors,  and  engage  most  heartily  in 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  95 

all  benevolent  enterprises,  are  the  most  blessed  with  spir- 
itual prosperity?  With  what  heart,  let  us  ask,  can  a 
minister  of  the  Gospel  dispense  the  word  of  life  and  dis- 
tribute spiritual  things  to  a  Church  full  of  riches  and 
increased  in  goods,  when  his  heart  is  borne  down  with 
care  and  anxiety  about,  the  next  meal  for  his  poor  wife 
and  children  ?  It  would  take  a  faith  greater  than  Abra- 
ham's to  enable  him  to  pour  forth  bright,  glad  streams 
from  such  a  troubled  fountain.  We  know  it  is  said,  "Let 
him  trust  in  God.  He  ought  not  to  be  anxious  about 
what  he  shall  eat  or  wear.  His  treasure  is  in  heaven; 
nnd,  beside  all  this,  his  great  Master  had  not  where  to 
lay  his  head."  All  this  is  well  enough,  but  God  will  not 
send  the  ravens  to  feed  him,  nor  command  the  stones  to 
be  made  bread,  when  there  is  a  Church  abundantly  able 
to  supply  his  wants,  and  God  has  commanded  that  Church 
to  give  the  laborer  his  hire. 

Thus  it  was  with  Michael  Ellis,  and  thus  it  has  been 
irith  hundreds  in  the  ministry  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
Finding  that  he  must  look  out  for  himself,  he  removed, 
with  his  family,  to  Ohio,  and  settled  in  Belmont  county. 
Here  he  went  to  work  with  his  own  hands,  toiling  hard 
all  week  and  going  out  on  the  Sabbath  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  the  destitute  in  his  neighborhood.  By  his  own 
industry  he  was  enabled  to  rear  a  large  and  interesting 
family;  and  one  of  his  sons  is  now,  and  has  been  for  the 
last  twenty  years,  a  traveling  preacher  in  the  Ohio  con- 
'ference. 

It  was  not  till  the  year  1809  that  we  became  acquainted 
iwith  this  father  in  Israel.  His  influence  for  God  and 
religion,  like  that  of  the  patriarch  Abraham  in  Mamre, 
spread  all  over  the  country  where  he  resided,  and  is  felt 
even  to  this  day.  His  family  having  grown  up,  so  that 
3y  his  oversight  and  the  industrious,  frugal  management 
of  his  amiable  and  pious  wife  he  could  see  his  way  again 


96  SKETCHES    OF 

opened  to  enter  the  itinerant  field,  he  accordingly,  on  the 
first  of  November,  1810,  was  readmitted  into  the  travel- 
ing connection,  and  appointed  to  West  Wheeling  circuit, 
in  the  bounds  of  which  he  had  labored  for  many  years  as 
a  local  preachei  with  great  acceptability  and  usefulness. 
The  next  year  ho  was  returned  to  the  same  circuit,  and 
such  was  his  increasing  popularity,  even  in  the  vicinity 
of  home,  that  he  would  have  been  gladly  received  another 
year  but  for  disciplinary  restrictions.  Some  preachers 
soon  wear  out  in  their  fields  of  labor,  and  their  sermons 
become  stale  and  tiresome  to  their  hearers.  Under  such 
circumstances  the  congregations  look  with  anxiety  for  the 
close  of  the  year,  when  their  appointments  will  terminate 
and  they  can  have  a  change.  Though  some  are  disposed 
to  think — and  it  may  be  rightly  enough — that  our  econ- 
omy, in  removing  preachers  every  two  years,  is  calculated 
to  produce  a  restlessness  in  the  minds  of  the  people  and 
a  desire  for  frequent  changes,  yet  we  know,  as  a  general 
thing,  that  no  minister  who  devotes  himself  to  study,  that 
his  profiting  may  appear  to  all,  being  thus  enabled  to 
bring  out  of  the  well-stored  treasury  of  his  mind  that 
rich  variety  which  the  themes  of  the  Gospel  so  abund- 
antly furnish,  will  be  at  all  likely  to  wear  out,  or  cause 
his  congregation  to  wish  for  his  removal  at  the  expiration 
of  two  years.  Instead  of  this,  they  become  increasingly 
interesting,  and  are  enabled  the  more  effectually  to  adapt 
their  discourses  to  their  audiences,  so  as  to  give  to  saint 
and  sinner  their  portion  in  due  season.  The  desire  for  a 
change  may  arise,  however,  from  other  causes  beside  want 
of  devotion  to  study.  The  preacher  may  render  himself 
unpopular  from  an  uncouthness  or  unpleasantness,  not  to 
Bay  boorishness,  of  manner,  or  from  a  want  of  sociality 
or  common  sense  in  his  judgment  of  men  and  things; 
that,  though  he  possessed  the  learning  of  a  Clarke,  or  the 
eloquence  of  a  Whitefield,  he  could  not,  without  that 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  97 

necessary  combination  of  requisites  in  a  preacher,  make 
himself  useful  to  the  people  of  his  charge.  Every  min- 
ister should  study  the  character  of  his  hearers;  and  thus, 
while  in  his  ministrations  he  would  "study  to  show  him- 
self approved  unto  God  a  workman  that  needeth  not  to 
be  ashamed,  giving  to  all  their  portion,"  he  would  gain 
favor  in  sight  of  all  the  people.  Alas!  with  too  many 
preachers  all  the  ambition  they  seem  to  have  in  preparing 
for  the  pulpit,  is  to  commit  to  writing  or  memory  a  few 
skeletons  or  sketches  that  they  have  taken  from  Simeon 
or  Hanam,  which  are  as  likely  to  be  as  full  of  Calvinism 
as  any  thing  else;  and  thus,  as  mere  parrots,  they  "mount 
the  pulpit  with  a  skip,"  repeat  their  memoriter  ha- 
rangues, and  then  "skip"  down  again.  The  hungry 
sheep  look  up  and  are  not  fed.  Instead  of  taking  their 
Bibles  and  going  into  their  study,  if  they  have  one,  and 
if  not,  to  the  woods,  and  there,  by  prayer  and  close,  labo- 
rious thought,  after  finding  a  subject  adapted  to  their 
hearers,  study  it  out  in  all  its  connections  and  bearings, 
filling  their  minds  and  hearts  full  of  the  theme,  and  then 
going,  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  into  their  pulpits, 
or  school-houses,  or  log-cabins,  and  pouring  out  the  gar- 
nered truths  with  their  full  hearts,  alas !  how  many  have 
not  a  single  thought  of  their  own,  and  are  the  mere  au- 
tomata through  which  others  speak !  But,  again,  there 
are  others  who  are  so  wonderfully  enraptured  with  any 
thing  of  a  metaphysical  or  transcendental  cast,  that  the 
plain,  home,  heart-searching  truths  of  the  Gospel  are  lost 
sight  of,  and,  consequently,  the  hearers  who  wait  upon 
such  a  ministry  do  not  "taste  the  good  word  of  God." 
It  is  so  festooned  with  the  flowers  of  rhetoric,  or  scented 
with  the  phrases  of  metaphysics,  or  incased  with  the 
technicalities  of  logic,  that  the  mind  neither  compre- 
hends, appreciates,  nor  enjoys  the  preaching,  if  it  may  so 
be  called.  We  once  heard  Bishop  Asbury  say  to  a  class 

9 


98  SKETCHES   OF 

of  young  candidates  for  orders,  "When  you  go  into  the 
pulpit,  go  from  your  closets.  Leave  all  your  vain  specula- 
tions and  metaphysical  reasonings  behind.  Take  with 
you  your  hearts  full  of  fresh  spring  water  from  heaven, 
and  preach  Christ  crucified  and  the  resurrection,  and  that 
will  conquer  the  world." 

Although  brother  Ellis  could  not  be  called  a  learned 
man  in  the  sciences,  yet  he  was  a  Bible  student,  deeply 
versed  in  the  science  of  salvation,  and  one  of  the  sound- 
est, clearest  doctrinal  preachers  we  ever  heard.  He 
studied  divinity  in  the  school  of  Christ,  and  was  trained 
under  the  professorship  of  Wesley  and  Fletcher.  His 
heart  was  deeply  imbued  with  the  grace  of  God;  and 
having  attained  the  fullness  of  the  blessing  of  the  Gospel 
of  Christ,  the  perfect  love  that  swelled  his  heart  rolled 
out  to  bless  mankind.  We  doubt  whether  he  ever 
preached  a  sermon  in  which  he  did  not  introduce  the 
doctrine  of  Christian  perfection  as  taught  in  the  Bible, 
and  preached  by  Wesley  and  Fletcher.  It  was  the  plain, 
old-fashioned,  unvarnished  doctrine  of  entire  sanctifica- 
tion,  without  any  reference  whatever  to  the  philosophy  of 
the  intellect,  the  emotions,  and  volitions;  a  simple  faith 
that  brought  into  the  soul  the  life  and  love  of  God.  One 
of  his  favorite  texts,  in  the  latter  days  of  his  ministry, 
was,  "Jesus  Christ,  who  is  made  unto  us  wisdom  and 
righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemption."  His  mode 
of  treating  it  was,  if  we  recollect  rightly,  something  after 
this  sort.  After  explaining  how  Christ  is  made  to  the 
believer  wisdom,  he  would  divide  his  subject  into  three 
parts;  namely,  justification,  sanctification,  and  eternal 
redemption.  These  doctrines  he  compared  to  a  ladder, 
the  foot  of  which  rested  on  earth,  and  the  top  of  which 
entered  heaven  :  justification,  sanctification,  and  redemp- 
tion were  the  three  successive  rounds  of  this  ladder,  over 
which  the  soul  passes  in  its  course  to  heaven.  He  would 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  99 

dearly  describe  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  showing 
the  nature  and  condition  thereof,  and  its  attestation  by 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Then  he  would  describe  the  nature  and 
condition  of  sanctification,  and  finally  what  the  Bible 
teaches  in  regard  to  redemption  and  glorification  in 
heaven.  He  seemed  to  be  the  living  impersonation  of 
his  theme,  passing  through  all  the  progressive  stages  of 
Lis  subject  till  its  close,  when  ho  would  give  a  shouting 
peroration  that  would  make  every  heart  feel  that  the 
preacher  knew  and  felt  whereof  he  spoke. 

Such  preaching  would  not  be  likely  to  tire  a  congrega- 
tion hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness,  and 
such  a  preacher  would  not  be  likely  to  wear  out.  His 
heart  was  full  of  the  love  of  God,  and  when  he  would 
pour  out  that  heart,  it  was  refreshing  and  fructifying  as 
the  "dews  of  heaven  that  descended  upon  the  mountains 
of  Zion,  where  the  Lord  commanded  his  blessing,  even 
life  for  evermore." 

In  the  year  1812  he  was  appointed  to  Knox  circuit, 
and  it  was  a  year  of  great  labor  and  comfort  to  the  old 
veteran  of  the  cross.  His  predecessor  had  sown  the 
seeds  of  Arianism  broadcast  all  over  the  circuit,  and  they 
had  taken  deep  root  and  were  springing  up,  choking  the 
plants  of  evangelical  piety.  Six  of  the  local  preachers 
had  embraced  the  error,  and  some  of  the  most  active  and 
influential  members  had  been  beguiled  from  the  faith  as 
it  is  in  Jesus.  Such  was  the  confusion  and  division  oc- 
casioned by  this  heresy,  that  it  seemed  as  if  the  whole 
circuit  would  be  broken  up  unless  it  were  speedily  ar- 
rested. Ellis  went  to  work  with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit, 
and,  proclaiming  the  truth  in  love  with  its  two-edged 
power,  it  soon  separated  falsehood  from  the  pure  Gospel, 
and  soon  all  were  enabled  to  discern  the  fallacy  of  Ari- 
anism and  cling  to  the  divine  doctrine.  In  the  year  1813 
we  were  appointed  to  Barnesville  circuit,  and  had  the 


100  SKETCHES    OF 

pleasure  of  having  this  eminent  servant  of  God  for  our 
colleague.  This  was  a  year  of  great  prosperity  and  bless- 
ing to  the  Church.  The  circuit,  like  all  circuits  of  that 
day,  was  large,  embracing  part  of  Virginia,  and  lying  on 
the  waters  of  Duck  creek,  north-east  of  Marietta.  On  it 
there  was  no  leading  road,  and  nothing  by  which  we 
could  reach  the  settlements  but  a  bridle  path.  The  in- 
habitants, like  all  backwoods  people  in  those  days,  lived 
by  the  chase;  yet  we  have  often  seen  in  their  rude  log- 
cabins  as  powerful  exhibitions  of  the  power  of  Christian- 
ity as  ever  we  witnessed  in  the  more  refined  circles  of 
society.  The  fare  on  a  great  portion  of  this  circuit  was 
too  rough  for  an  aged  man  like  father  Ellis,  and  we  chose 
to  do  all  the  work  during  the  winter,  and  let  him  attend 
the  appointments  where  the  fare  was  better  and  the  trav- 
eling more  easy.  In  the  spring  he  greatly  desired  to  go 
into  this  wilderness  portion,  and  to  gratify  him  we  con- 
sented. At  breakfast  we  said,  "Eat  hearty,  father 
Ellis;  we  fear  you  are  going  into  the  wilderness  to  be 
tempted  by  the  devil.  You  must  prepare  to  cat  raccoon, 
opossum,  or  bear  meat,  and,  indeed,  in  some  places  you 
may  not  be  able  to  get  that."  Nothing  intimidated,  the 
old  soldier  penetrated  the  wilderness,  and,  ere  he  re- 
turned, won  many  trophies  for  the  cross  of  Jesus. 

In  the  year  1814  he  was  appointed  to  the  West  Wheel- 
ing circuit,  and  the  year  following  to  Fairfield,  where  he 
continued  to  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  preaching  a 
full  and  free  salvation  to  all.  On  this  circuit  lived  old 
father  Walker,  the  father  of  Rev.  George  W.  Walker,  of 
the  Cincinnati  conference;  and  under  the  labors  of  Ellis 
and  his  colleague — Samuel  Brown — the  family  were  con- 
verted to  God  and  joined  the  Church.  The  old  gentle- 
man was  a  stanch  Roman  Catholic,  and  raised  his  chil- 
dren in  that  faith;  but  there  was  a  power  in  the  pure, 
unadulterated  Gospel,  as  preached  by  this  venerable  her- 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  101 

aid  of  the  cross,  that  cut  its  way  through  the  supersti- 
tions and  dead  forms  of  that  corrupt  Church,  and  brought 
the  soul  away  from  all  priestly  mediation  and  absolution 
directly  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  great  high-priest,  for  pardon 
and  salvation.  In  the  year  1816  he  was  appointed  to 
Pickaway,  and  the  following  year  reappointed.  In  this 
and  all  the  fields  of  his  toil,  he  was  in  labors  more  abund- 
ant, and  many  souls  were  gathered  into  the  fold  of  Christ, 
being  made  the  happy  partakers  of  saving  grace.  But 
his  work,  as  an  itinerant,  was  done.  In  the  year  1810  he 
received  from  the  conference  a  superannuated  relation, 
and  continued  therein,  preaching  whenever  he  was  able, 
till  his  Master  summoned  him  away  from  the  field  of  his 
toil  and  conflict,  to  that  eternal  glory  and  reward  he  had 
so  often  described.  He  had  taken  up  his  abode  in  the 
town  of  Hehoboth,  Perry  county,  Ohio,  and  there,  full  of 
faith  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  breathed  out  his  soul  into 
the  hands  of  that  Savior  whom  living  he  loved,  and  whom 
dying  he  went  to  embrace  forever. 

Brother  Ellis  was  a  man  of  fine  personal  appearance, 
dignified  and  courteous  in  his  manners.  He  was  a  pleas- 
ant speaker,  and  there  was  an  unction  attended  his  ser- 
mons which  commended  them  to  every  man's  conscience 
in  the  sight  of  God.  His  example  and  influence  will  be 
felt  in  the  Church  for  many  years  to  come. 

9* 


102  SKETCHES    01 


CHAPTER  V. 

ORIGIN    AND    PROGRESS    OP    METHODISM    IN 
CINCINNATI. 

THOUGH  Methodism  is  evidently  a  pioneer  religion,  ad- 
mirably adapted  in  its  economy  to  the  early  settlements 
of  the  country,  and  is  generally  found  far  enough  in  ad- 
vance of  all  other  religious  denominations,  yet,  as  it 
regards  the  early  settlement  of  Cincinnati,  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church  takes  precedence.  This  may  be  accounted 
for  by  the  fact  that  the  original  proprietors  of  the  town 
were  Presbyterians.  In  laying  out  the  town  they  appro- 
priated the  south  half  of  the  square  bounded  by  Main 
and  Walnut,  Fourth  and  Fifth  streets,  for  the  use  of  said 
society.  In  the  autumn  of  1790  the  Rev.  James  Kem- 
per  organized  a  Presbyterian  society,  and  the  congrega- 
tions met  regularly  every  Sabbath  on  this  square,  under 
the  shade  of  the  trees  with  which  it  was  covered,  to  lis- 
ten to  the  word  of  God.  After  a  few  years  on  this  spot 
the  society  erected  a  stout  frame  building,  forty  feet  by 
thirty  in  dimensions.  It  was  inclosed  with  clapboards, 
but  neither  lathed,  plastered,  nor  ceiled.  The  floor  was 
made  of  boat  plank,  laid  loosely  on  sleepers.  The  seats 
were  constructed  of  the  same  material,  supported  by 
blocks  of  wood.  They  were,  of  course,  without  backs; 
and  here  our  forefather  pioneers  worshiped,  with  their 
trusty  rifles  between  their  knees.  On  one  side  of  the 
house  a  breast-work  of  unplaned  cherry  boards  was  con- 
structed, which  was  styled  the  pulpit,  behind  which  the 
preacher  stood  on  a  piece  of  boat  plank,  supported  by  two 
blocks  of  wood. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  103 

In  1792  the  Presbytery  of  Transylvania  was  held  in 
this  church,  and  it  was  the  first  ecclesiastical  body  ever 
held  in  the  place.  No  other  Church  was  organized  in 
Cincinnati  till  seven  years  after  the  organization  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  The  next  Church  was  probably 
the  Baptist,  which  was  organized  in  the  town  of  Colum- 
bia, about  six  miles  above  Cincinnati,  and  now  forming 
the  eastern  suburb.  We  have  seen  a  sketch  of  the  old 
house  as  it  stood  a  few  years  ago,  and  as  it  stands  yet, 
for  aught  we  know,  with  its  clapboards  falling  off,  win- 
dows broken,  and  dilapidated  walls  and  chimney.  Here 
the  Baptist  denomination,  in  early  times,  gathered  to- 
gether, from  all  parts  of  the  Miami  Valley  and  the 
adjoining  state  of  Kentucky,  to  listen  to  the  word  of  life 
and  witness  the  celebration  of  their  beloved  ordinance 
in  the  waters  of  their  western  Jordan.  For  days  their 
solemn  associations  have  been  held  on  this  spot ;  and 
though  the  old  sanctuary  has  gone  to  decay,  and  the 
adjoining  grove  has  given  place  to  streets  and  squares, 
occupied  with  dwelling-houses,  still  it  is  a  green  and 
sunny  spot  in  the  memory  of  every  Baptist  of  the  olden 
time. 

In  the  year  1798  the  Rev.  John  Kobler,  a  Methodist 
preacher,  and  one  of  the  early  pioneers,  visited  Fort 
Washington.  He  quaintly  describes  his  first  visit  to  the, 
town  of  Cincinnati.  We  are  indebted  to  the  Western 
Historical  Society  for  this  description,  as  it  is  a  reply 
to  said  Society  in  regard  to  the  question,  "  When  and  by 
whom  was  the  first  class  formed  at  Fort  Washington  ?" 
Without  giving  any  information  in  regard  to  the  point 
from  whence  he  started,  he  says,  "I  rode  down  the 
Miami  river  thirty-six  miles  to  explore  this  region  of 
country.  I  found  settlements  very  sparse  indeed,  only 
now  and  then  a  solitary  family.  About  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  I  came  to  an  old  garrison  called  Fort  Wash- 


104:  SKETCHES    OF 

ington,  situated  on  tlie  bank  of  the  big  river,  [Ohio,] 
which  bore  very  much  the  appearance  of  a  declining, 
time-stricken,  God-forsaken  place.     Here  are  a  few  log 
buildings  extra  of  the  fortress,  and  a  few  families  resid- 
ing together,  with  a  small  printing-office  just  put  in  oper- 
ation, and  a  small  store,  opened  by  a  gentleman  named 
Snodgrass.     This,  I  was  told,  was  the  great  place  of  ren- 
dezvous of  olden  time  for  the  Federal  troops  when  going 
to  war  with  the  Indians.     Here,  alas !  General  St.  Clair 
made  his  last  encampment  with  his  troops  before  he  met 
his   lamentable    defeat ;    here    I    wished    very    much   to 
preach,  but  could  find  no  opening  or  reception  of  any 
kind  whatever.     I   left   the    old    garrison  to  pursue   my 
enterprise,  with  a  full  intention   to  visit  it  again,   and 
make  another  effort  with  them  on  rny  next  round ;  but 
this  I  did   not   do   for   the    following    reasons ;    namely, 
when  I  had  gone  a  second  round  on  my  appointment,  and 
further  explored  the  settlements  and   circumstances   of 
the  country,  there  were  some  places  where  the  opening 
prospects  appeared  much  more  promising  than  what  I 
had  seen  in  Fort  Washington ;  and  I  was  eager  to  take 
every  advantage  of  time  and  things,  by  collecting  what 
fruit   was    already   apparent,    by   forming    societies    and 
building  up  those  already  formed;  so  that  in  a  few  rounds  I 
had  nearly  lost  sight  of  old  Fort  Washington,  and  finally 
concluded  that  it  would  be  most  proper  for  me,  under 
existing  circumstances,  at  least  for  the  present,  to  omit 
it  altogether;  so  that  in  this  statement  I  am  sorry  to  say 
it  is  not  in  my  power  to  lay  before  the  honorable  Histor- 
ical Society  that  information  for  which  they  have  inquired 
with  so  much  solicitude,  When  and  ly  whom  was  the  first 
class  formed  at  Fort  Washington?"     The  immediate  suc- 
cessors of  Kobler,   the   Revs.   Lewis   Hunt   and   Elisha 
Bowman,  did  venture  to  visit  the  old  Fort  and  preach 
occasionally;   with  what  success,  however,  history  does 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  105 

not  inform  us,  and  no  living  man  can  tell.  But  these 
were  not  the  only  Methodist  sermons  that  were  preached 
at  Fort  Washington  in  that  early  day  by  wandering  itin- 
erants, who  ventured  to  lift  up  their  voice  to  tho  inhabit- 
ants. It  was  visited  by  a  man  who  is  still  living,  and 
sits  by  my  side  in  his  parlor,  on  Longworth-street,  who 
preached  in  the  court-house  as  presiding  elder  of  the  dis- 
trict in  1804,  and  preached  in  the  house  of  Mr.  New- 
come,  a  Methodist,  on  Sycamore-street,  but  a  short  time 
after  the  society  was  formed. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  fifty-six  years  ago  there  were 
no  Methodists  known  in  Cincinnati,  though  our  Presbyte- 
rian brethren  had  a  congregation  and  a  place  of  worship. 
Cincinnati  was  then  a  country  village,  containing  a  few 
hundred  inhabitants,  and  they  of  that  class  which  usually 
congregate  around  military  encampments.  Those  who 
were  in  any  way  interested  on  tho  subject  of  religion 
would  not,  in  consequence  of  belonging  to  the  Presbyte- 
rian or  Baptist  Churches — both  of  which  were  strongly 
Calvinistic — be  likely  to  invite  a  Methodist  preacher  to 
come  into  their  midst,  especially  in  those  early  times. 

At  that  time  the  name  of  Methodist  was  not  known  in 
the  place,  though  the  sequel  will  show  that  shortly  after 
there  were  some  residing  within  the  limits  of  the  town 
who  were  not  only  sympathetically  inclined  to  Methodism, 
but  had  been  members  of  the  Church  elsewhere.  An 
opportunity  was  soon  after  afforded  to  develop  the  Meth- 
odist element  that  slumbered  in  the  heterogeneous  mass 
of  which  the  society  at  Fort  Washington  was  composed. 

Away  up  on  the  East  Fork  of  the  Little  Miami,  in  the 
wilderness,  there  lived  a  young  and  sprightly  farmer. 
His  place  of  residence,  or,  rather,  the  neighborhood,  had 
proven  a  genial  soil  for  Methodism;  and  here  it  took  root 
and  flourished  like  the  vines  and  cedars  of  Lebanon. 
Here  was  a  stronghold  for  Methodism ;  and  from  this  point 


106  SKETCHES   OF 

as  a  center  went  out  Methodist  influence  over  the  land. 
Here  were  congregated  together,  at  quarterly  and  camp 
meeting  occasions,  the  thousands  of  our  Methodist  Israel 
scattered  abroad.  On  the  occasion  of  these  holy  convo- 
cations many  a  young  and  zealous  member  of  the  Church 
was  called  to  exercise  his  gifts  as  an  exhorter,  while  many 
an  exhorter  has,  on  the  ground  of  gifts,  grace,  and  use- 
fulness, been  raised  to  the  more  exalted  and  responsible 
station  of  a  local  preacher.  The  young  farmer  of  whom 
we  have  made  mention  was  a  local  preacher  of  more  than 
ordinary  talents.  It  became  necessary  for  Mr.  Collins — 
for  that  was  his  name — to  visit  Cincinnati,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  purchasing  some  salt.  Being  in  the  store  of  Mr. 
Carter,  he  asked  that  gentleman  if  there  were  any  Meth- 
odists in  the  place.  To  this  the  storekeeper  responded, 
"Yes,  sir;  I  am  a  Methodist."  The  local  preacher  was 
taken  by  surprise  at  the  joyful  intelligence,  and,  throwing 
his  arms  around  his  neck,  he  wept.  He  then  asked  him 
if  there  were  any  more  Methodists  in  the  place.  The 
response  to  this  was  equally  full  of  joyous  intelligence  : 
"0  yes,  brother,  there  are  several."  This  caused  the 
heart  of  the  sympathetic  Collins  to  leap  for  joy.  "  0," 
said  the  zealous  young  preacher,  "  that  I  could  have 
them  all  together,  that  I  might  open  to  them  my  heart !" 
"In  this  you  shall  be  gratified,  my  brother,  as  I  will  open 
my  house,  and  call  together  the  people,  if  you  will 
preach." 

The  upper  room  of  brother  Carter's  house  was  fitted 
up  by  the  introduction  of  temporary  benches,  while  every 
effort  possible  was  made  to  give  the  appointment  an  ex- 
tensive circulation.  What  was  the  astonishment  of  all 
when  night  came  to  find  that  there  were  only  twelve  per- 
sons present !  It  seemed  that  Methodism  could  neither 
awaken  opposition  nor  contempt.  At  other  times  and 
places  it  has  been  regarded  either  as  a  stern  and  stubborn 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  107 

error  that  must  be  put  down  by  fair  and  lusty  argument, 
or  when  in  the  event  reason  failed,  and  it  must  be  plied 
with  ridicule,  it  has  been  called  "  the  wildest  vagary  that 
ever  sickened  the  imagination  of  a  fool ;"  but  the  first 
sermon  that  was  preached  in  Cincinnati  by  a  Methodist 
preacher  became  neither  the  butt  of  reason  nor  of  ridicule. 
One  of  that  number  was  our  beloved  and  lamented  sis- 
ter Dcnnison,  the  daughter  of  brother  t4arter,  at  whose 
house  the  first  sermon  was  preached.  She  recollected 
distinctly  the  meeting  and  all  the  incidents  connected 
with  it,  and  related  to  the  writer  of  this  many  interesting 
facts  a  short  time  previous  to  her  death.  Though  she  was 
then  but  quite  young,  she  was  a  professor  of  religion,  and 
was  with  the  little  band  assembled  in  that  upper  room  on 
Front-street,  between  Walnut  and  Vine.  She  realized 
the  good  word  of  God,  and  the  powers  of  the  world  to 
come.  It  was  a  memorable  time  for  Methodism  in  Cin- 
cinnati. It  was  as  the  planting  of  a  handful  of  corn  on 
the  tops  of  the  mountains,  the  increasing  and  ever-mul- 
tiplying products  of  which  were  to  shake  with  the  fruit- 
age of  Lebanon.  It  wa.s  the  first  time  the  Gospel,  unfet- 
tered by  decrees,  sounded  its  clear  notes  in  this  then 
rising  village.  A  small  class  was  formed,  which  consti 
tuted  the  nucleus  of  the  Church,  as  the  few  houses 
scattered  here  and  there  constituted  tho  nucleus  of  a 
mighty  city — the  Queen  City  of  the  West.  The  forma- 
tion of  that  first  Methodist  society  was  the  introduction 
of  a  new  element — not  as  it  was  in  tho  old  country,  to 
rouse  the  stagnant  forms  of  religion,  and  stir  them  into 
life,  but  the  introduction  of  an  clement  into  a  new  and 
active  state  of  society,  growing  up  under  the  cold  and 
stereotyped  forms  of  a  religion  from  which  all  animal 
feeling  was  excluded,  thus  destined  to  rouse  or  control,  and 
adapting  itself,  without  changing  its  principles,  to  all  tho 
phases  of  social  life. 


108  SKETCHES    OF 

The  young  preacher  being  greatly  refreshed  by  the 
interview  he  had  with  the  Methodists  of  Cincinnati,  re- 
turned home;  .and  some  short  time  after  he  was  regularly 
admitted  into  the  traveling  connection,  and  for  many  long 
years  of  hard  service  in  the  itinerant  field  he  proved  him- 
self one  of  the  most  eloquent,  talented,  and  successful 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  the  west  has  ever  known.  Were 
it  not  that  a  biography  of  this  distinguished  and  eloquent 
divine  has  already  been  written,  and  that  by  a  gifted  pen, 
we  would  feel  constrained  to  record  some  touching,  un- 
written incidents  of  his  life. 

The  next  sermon  preached  to  this  infant  Church  was 
in  a  house  on  Main-street,  between  First  and  Second 
streets.  The  preacher  was  the  Rev.  John  Sale,  at  that 
time  traveling  on  the  Miami  circuit.  This  sermon,  how- 
ever, was  preached  under  different  circumstances  from 
the  first,  and  the  congregation  was  increased  to  thirty  or 
forty  persons.  After  preaching  a  proposition  was  made 
to  organize  a  society  in  the  usual  way,  and  according  to 
the  Discipline  of  the  Church.  Accordingly,  a  chapter 
was  read  from  the  Bible;  then  followed  singing,  prayer, 
and  the  reading  of  the  General  Ilules  of  the  society.  All 
then,  who  felt  desirous  of  becoming  members  of  the 
society,  and  were  willing  to  abide  by  the  General  Ilules  as 
they  had  been  read,  came  forward  and  gave  in  their 
names.  The  number  who  came  forward  on  that  occasion, 
was  only  eight,  consisting  of  the  following;  namely,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Carter,  their  son  and  daughter;  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gibson,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  St.  Clair.  Mr.  Gibson  was 
appointed  the  leader. 

A  regular  Church  being  organized,  arrangements  wero 
made  to  have  preaching  regularly  every  two  weeks  by  the 
circuit  preachers.  The  society  received  an  accession  in 
the  ensuing  spring  by  the  arrival  in  town  of  two  Meth- 
odist families;  namely,  those  of  Messrs,  llichardson, 


WE8TEEH    METHODISM.  109 

and  Lyons,  and  subsequently  by  the  arrival  of  Messrs. 
Nelson  and  Hail,  and  their  families.  This  little  band  of 
Christians  were  closely  attached  to  each  other,  and  were 
one  in  opinion,  sentiment,  and  action.  The  cords  of 
brotherly-love  bound  them  together  BO  strongly,  and  the 
natural  affinities  growing  out  of  their  relationship  to  each 
other  a.s  Methodists  were  such,  that  no  spirit  of  discord 
was  ever  allowed  to  break  in  upon  the  harmony  of  their 
society,  or  for  a  moment  interrupt  the  even  tenor  of  its 
joyous  way.  "With  Christian  charity  they  bore,  each 
other's  burdens,  and  with  Christian  zeal  and  fidelity  they 
watched  over  each  other  for  good.  Each  one  seemed  to 
be  the  insurer  of  the  other's  reputation,  and  felt  himself 
as  responsible  for  his  upright  character  as  though  he  was 
his  special  guardian :  hence,  every  thing  that  indicated, 
in  the  slightest  degree,  a  departure  from  the  path  of  holy 
rectitude,  would  at  once  awaken  the  liveliest  apprehen- 
sions and  interest  on  the  part  of  the  rest.  If  any  one 
of  the  members  was  absent  from  class  meetings,  they 
were  immediately  inquired  after,  and  as  much  care  and 
solicitude  manifested  as  if  it  had  been  the  unexpected 
absence  of  some  member  of  a  family. 

This  mutual  interest  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of  each 
member  of  the  Church  was  what  constituted  the  true 
secret  of  the  early  character  of  Methodism ;  and  the  great 
success  which  marked  its  progress  in  every  country  where 
it  has  been  established,  is  to  be  attributed  more  to  the 
recognition  of  this  wholesome,  social  regulation  than  to 
any  other  peculiarity  of  doctrine  or  Church  government. 

Meetings  were  held  in  the  little  old  log  school-house 
below  the  hill,  and  not  far  from  the  old  Fort.  The  loca- 
tion of  this  school-house  was  such  as  to  accommodate  the 
villagers ;  and  as  its  site  was  somewhere  not  far  from  the 
intersection  of  Lawrence  and  Congress  streets,  it  is  pre- 
sumed that  this  portion  of  the  town  was  the  most  thickly 

10 


110 

inhabited.  Sometimes  the  rowdies  would  stone  the 
house;  and  on  one  occasion  Ezekiel  Hall,  a  zealous  Meth- 
odist, and  one  who  always  was  present  to  lead  the  singing, 
was  takeu  by  the  rowdies,  after  meeting,  and  carried  to 
his  home  on  Main-street,  where,  after  giving  him  three 
hearty  cheers  for  his  zeal  and  fortitude,  they  left  him. 
The  rioters  were  followed  by  two  very  strong  young  men, 
who  were  members  of  the  Church,  and  had  determined, 
at  all  hazards,  to  protect  their  feeble  brother.  The 
young  men  were  Benjamin  Stewart,  now  living  near  Car- 
thage, in  this  county,  and  llobert  Richardson,  now  living 
on  Broadway  in  this  city.  Mr.  Hall  was  the  father  of 
our  late  postmaster,  and  his  wife  is  still  living,  an  esti- 
mable member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 

The  first  love-feast  ever  held  by  the  Methodists  in  Cin- 
cinnati, was  during  a  quarterly  meeting  in  1805.  It  was 
held  in  the  court-house.  There  being  no  permanent 
place  for  holding  meetings,  and  the  society  being  greatly 
annoyed  by  many  changes,  it  was  at  length  resolved  that 
efforts  should  be  made  to  build  a  church,  that  Methodism 
might  not  only  have  a  name  but  a  local  habitation.  Ac- 
cordingly, a  lot  was  procured  between  Sycamore  and 
Broadway,  on  Fifth-street.  This  was  a  large  lot,  and  the 
rear  part  of  it  was  appropriated,  like  that  in  the  rear  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  for  a  cemetery — a  very  injudi- 
cious arrangement ;  but  no  one  at  that  time  would,  for  a 
moment,  have  entertained  the  idea  that  the  crowding, 
;  pressing,  teeming  thousands  of  the  city  would  make 
such  encroachments  as  have  been  made  upon  the  resting- 
places  of  the  dead.  The  idea  of  burial  in  the  city, 
whether  judicious  or  not,  is  not  so  much  the  question  as 
the  fact,  the  broad,  staring,  standing  fact,  of  man's  ava- 
riciousness,  and  the  disposition  to  appropriate  to  his 
interest  even  what  belongs  to  the  dead. 

The  society  having  procured  the  lot,  commenced,  in 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  Ill 

the  year  1805,  to  erect  a  stone  church.  This  church  was 
finished  and  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God  the  follow- 
ing year.  From  this  point  the  society  increased  rapidly, 
and  it  was  not  long  till  the  native  eloquence  of  the  back- 
woods preachers  and  the  zeal  of  the  membership  attracted 
large  congregations,  and  the  church  was  too  small  to  hold 
the  crowds  that  collected  there  to  hear  the  word  of  life. 
The  building,  however,  was  but  small,  only  being  about 
twenty  feet  wide  and  forty  long.  To  accommodate  the 
increasing  masses  who  crowded  to  the  "Old  Stone,"  the 
rear  end  was  taken  out  and  twenty  feet  of  brick  added  to 
it.  Notwithstanding  this  enlargement,  still  there  was 
.not  a  sufficient  room,  and  it  was  resolved  to  make  ar- 
rangements for  other  enlargements.  It  was  concluded  to 
take  out  the  sides  of  the  brick  part  and  extend  the  build- 
ing out  each  way  twenty  feet,  thus  giving  the  church  the 
form  of  a  cross.  After  some  time  this  last  improvement 
was  made;  and  though  the  congregations  still  continued 
gradually  to  increase  with  the  ever-increasing  population, 
yet  it  was  many  years  before  any  movement  was  contem- 
plated to  meet  these  wants.  At  length,  however,  it  was 
resolved  to  tear  down  and  build  on  the  site  of  the  Old 
Stone  a  mammoth  church,  which  would  not  only  bo  the 
parent  Methodist  church  in  Cincinnati,  but  which  would 
be  sufficiently  large  for  all  occasions. 

Colonies  had  already  gone  out  from  the  old  parent 
church,  and  had  located  preaching-places  in  several  parts 
of  the  city.  One  of  these  was  located  on  the  corner  of 
Plum  and  Fourth  streets.  Here  the  brethren  erected  a 
plain,  substantial  brick  church,  which,  in  process  of  time, 
was  called  the  "Old  Brick,"  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
"Old  Stone;"  and  it  was  also  designated  by  a  certain  class 
as  "Brimstone  Corner."  This  was  doubtless  in  allusion 
to  the  fact,  that  here  the  sinner  was  visited  with  the  ter- 
rors of  the  law,  and  Sinai's  thunders  were  made  to  play 


112  SKETCHES    OF 

upon  his  guilty  ears.  The  Methodist  preachers  of  those 
days  preached  the  law  as  well  as  the  Gospel,  and  they 
aimed,  in  every  discourse,  to  give  to  saint  and  sinner 
their  portion  in  due  season,  even  if,  in  doing  so,  they 
should  violate  the  unity  of  the  subject.  Indeed,  it  mat- 
tered but  little  what  were  the  subjects  selected,  they 
usually  had  enough  of  repentance,  and  faith,  and  earnest 
invitation  to  Christ  in  their  sermons  tu  save  a  soul.  An- 
other charge  was  formed  in  the  northern  portion  of  the 
city,  which  was  called  Asbury,  and  also  one  in  Fulton, 
denominated  M'Kcndree  Chapel. 

The  time  had  at  length  come  for  the  erection  of  a 
large  central  church,  and  the  arrangements  being  made, 
the  "Old  Stone,"  with  its  brick  appendages,  was  torn 
down,  and  from  its  ruins  rose  a  mighty  structiirc,  denom- 
inated Wesley  Chapel.  It  was  dedicated  in  1831 ;  at  that 
time  the  largest  church  in  the  place,  and  at  the  present 
time  capable  of  holding  a  larger  congregation  than  any 
building  in  the  city.  On  account  of  its  capacity  as  well 
as  its  location  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city,  it  is  selected 
on  all  great  occasions.  The  address  of  the  lion.  John 
Quincy  Adams,  on  the  occasion  of  laying  the  corner-stone 
of  the  Astronomical  Observatory,  was  delivered  here. 
Here  the  various  large  benevolent  societies  hold  their  an- 
niversaries. It  was  here  to  listening  thousands  the  elo- 
quent Bascom  delivered  his  lectures  on  the  evidences  of 
Christianity;  and  it  was  in  this  old  cradle  of  Methodism 
the  logical  and  earnest  Eicc  delivered  his  course  on  the 
subject  of  Romanism.  Here  the  Wesleyan  Female  Col- 
lege holds  its  Commencements,  and  annually  crowds  every 
seat,  and  aisle,  and  avenue,  and  gallery  with  eager  listen- 
ing thousands.  But  the  time  would  fail  to  tell  of  all  the 
associations  that  have  met  and  mingled  in  old  Wesley. 
Many  have  been  the  joyous  shouts  that  have  echoed  from 
its  venerable  walls,  and  many  have  been  the  seasons  of 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  113 

refreshing  here  enjoyed  by  God's  people  during  the  years 
of  its  existence.  Here  the  General  conference  has  held 
its  sessions,  the  Parent  Missionary  Society  and  the  Sun- 
day School  Union  their  anniversaries;  and  here  the  tribes 
of  our  Israel  may  repair  from  the  east  and  the  west,  the 
north  and  the  south,  in  all  time  to  come. 

The  "Old  Brick,"  of  which  we  have  already  spoken, 
was  built  in  1822;  but  after  several  years,  during  which 
it  became  a  place  of  hallowed  memories,  on  account  of 
the  numerous  conversions  which  had  been  witnessed  at 
its  altars,  it  was  necessary  to  enlarge  the  borders  of  our 
western  Zion  in  this  place,  and  hence  preparations  were 
made  to  erect  a  new  church.  In  the  mean  time,  how- 
ever, a  colony  had  gone  out  from  Fourth-street  and  had 
built  a  fino  church  edifice  on  Ninth-street.  Instead 
of  tearing  down  and  rebuilding,  it  was  determined  to 
purchase  a  lot  on  Western  Kow,  between  Fourth  and 
Fifth  streets.  Here  the  congregation  built  a  very  neat 
and  commodious  church,  which  was  denominated  "Mor- 
ris Chapel,"  in  honor  of  our  beloved  western  Bishop. 
No  congregation  in  the  city  has  enjoyed  more  uninter- 
rupted prosperity  than  this  enterprising  charge.  Its 
leading  members  are  men  of  energy  and  activity;  and 
whatever  good  work  their  hands  find  to  do,  they  do  it 
with  all  their  might.  The  Sabbath  school  and  mission- 
ary causes  have  claimed  their  undivided  and  earnest  at- 
tention ;  and,  perhaps,  no  charge  in  our  whole  connection 
more  vigorously  or  systematically  engages  in  carrying  out 
all  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  Church.  The  Sab- 
bath school  connected  with  this  charge  sent  out,  several 
years  ago,  a  missionary  to  Germany,  from  whom  regular 
communications  were  received,  from  year  to  year,  which 
were  read  to  the  school,  and  had  a  great  tendency  to  fos- 
ter and  increase  the  missionary  spirit  among  the  teachers 
and  scholars  of  the  school.  For  the  present  it  is  engaged 
10* 


SKETCHES    OK 

in  supporting  a  missionary  among  the  Waldenses,  under 
the  direction  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cooke,  of  the  French  con- 
ference. 

But  Methodist  enterprise  did  not  stop  here.  Asbury 
Chapel,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city,  was  consumed 
by  fire,  but  the  zealous  brotherhood  erected  near  its 
ruins  a  new  and  handsome  edifice.  Colonies  from  Morris 
Chapel  and  Ninth-Street  went  out,  having  among  their 
number  some  of  the  most  zealous  and  efficient  of  their 
membership,  and  founded  Christie  Chapel,  a^d  Salem, 
York-Street,  and  Park-Street  Chapels,  all  having  now 
energetic  and  active  memberships;  and  last,  not  least,  in 
that  direction,  from  these,  in  their  turn,  was  formed  Clin- 
ton-Street Chapel,  a  young  but  vigorous  branch  of  3Ieth- 
odism.  In  the  mean  time  Bethel  Chapel  was  founded  by 
a  colony  from  old  Wesley  and  M'Keudree,  and  the  trus- 
tees are  now  engaged  in  erecting  a  new  and  beautiful 
church  on  Ellen-street.  Nor  do  we  stop  here;  colonies 
from  the  different  charges  have  founded  societies  and 
erected  churches  on  Walnut  Hills,  the  Mears  neighbor- 
hood, and  Mount  Auburn. 

We  must  not  omit  to  mention,  in  our  short  sketch  of 
the  Methodist  Church  in  Cincinnati,  Union  Chapel,  the 
only  pewed  Methodist  church  in  the  city.  It  was  origin- 
ally composed  of  a  few  members  of  different  charges, 
who,  preferring  family  sittings  to  the  old  mode  of  sepa- 
rate sittings,  associated  together  and  purchased  Grace 
Church,  on  Seventh-street,  formerly  belonging  to  the 
Episcopalians.  They  asked  for  recognition  by  the  author- 
ities of  the  Church,  and  for  a  pastor  to  supply  them  with 
preaching;  and  this  being  denied  them  they  employed  a 
local  preacher,  organized  a  Sabbath  school,  and  set  up  a 
provisional  government.  They  continued  to  make  appli- 
cation for  recognition,  from  time  to  time,  to  the  bishops 
and  the  annual  conference,  but  were  denied,  on  the 


WESTEKN    METHODISM. 

ground  that  it  was  contrary  to  Discipline,  though  it  wafi 
urged  that  the  same  rights  and  privileges  were  enjoyed 
by  numerous  Methodist  Churches  elsewhere.  Their  case 
was  finally  submitted  to  the  General  conference,  and  that 
body  struck  out  of  the  Discipline  all  portions  pertaining 
to  the  advisory  regulation,  "let  the  men  and  women  sit 
apart,  without  exception,  in  all  our  churches."  So  soon 
as  this  action  was  had  Union  Chapel  was  recognized,  and 
a  preacher  sent  to  organize  the  congregation  into  a  regu- 
lar society.  This  Church  has  gone  on  gradually  increas- 
ing in  numbers  and  prosperity.  The  trustees  have  en- 
larged and  remodeled  their  house  of  worship,  and  it  now 
presents  one  of  the  most  chaste  and  beautiful  Gothic 
fronts  in  the  city.  Its  interior  is  also  elaborately  and 
beautifully  finished.  The  society  deserves  all  praise  for 
the  enterprise  manifested,  not  only  in  securing  a  church 
which  is  an  honor  to  Methodism  in  the  city,  but  for  the 
zeal  which  it  has  shown  in  the  Sabbath  school  and  mis- 
sionary cause;  having,  according  to  the  showing  of  the 
Society  of  Religious  Inquiry,  the  largest  Sabbath  school 
in  the  city,  and  having  pledged  itself  to  sustain  a  mission- 
ary to  Home,  whenever  the  way  shall  be  opened  by  the 
grant  of  a  toleration  from  the  Pope  equivalent  to  that  so 
liberally  enjoyed  by  his  subjects  in  this  country. 

While  we  speak  thus  of  Union  Chapel,  we  would  not 
pass  in  silence  other  charges.  They  have  all  done  well  and 
deserve  praise.  We  have  already  spoken  of  "Morris," 
and  we  might  say  the  same  of  Ninth-Street,  Bethel,  As- 
bury,  Christie,  and  Park-Street,  and  the  sister  charges,  and, 
indeed,  we  doubt  whether  any  denomination  in  the  city, 
in  proportion  to  ability,  has  done  more  than  the  Method- 
ist Church  in  supporting  the  various  benevolent  institu- 
tions of  the  day.  If  we  despise  any  body,  it  is  the 
croaker  who  is  ceaselessly  howling  about  the  Church  bar- 
ing lost  her  primitive  simplicity,  and-  power,  and  influence 


116 

in  the  world.  We  believe  this  day,  under  God,  she  is 
doing  more  for  the  conversion  of  the  world  than  she  ever 
did;  and  while  there  is  quite  as  much  zeal  as  was  mani- 
fested in  olden  time,  there  is  a  thousand-fold  more  liber- 
ality. We  have  every  thing  to  say  favorably  of  Method- 
ism in  Cincinnati;  and  though  she  has  not  made  that 
advancement  she  should  have  made,  and  might  have 
made,  yet  she  has  far  outstripped,  in  this  respect,  all 
other  Protestant  denominations,  and  those,  too,  who  oc- 
cupied all  the  ground  before  her. 

We  are  not  yet  done  with  Methodism  in  Cincinnati. 
There  are  other  Churches  bearing  the  name  which,  though 
not  exactly  under  the  same  ecclesiastical  government,  are, 
nevertheless,  branches  from  the  old  stock,  vigorous  and 
healthy,  and  partaking  of  the  nature  and  fatness  of  the 
root  from  whence  they  sprang.  The  Protestant  Method' 
ist  Church,  on  Sixth-street,  is  a  large,  intelligent,  and  en- 
terprising society,  supporting  one  or  two  mission  Churches 
in  the  city.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South  has 
also  a  large  and  nourishing  congregation.  This  society 
is  composed  of  some  who  were  originally  the  stanchest 
friends  of  the  old  Church — intelligent,  benevolent,  and 
enterprising,  and  ready  for  every  good  word  and  work; 
and  though  we  exceedingly  regret  the  occasion  which 
prompted  them  to  a  separate  organization,  still  we  look 
upon  them  as  members  of  the  family,  having  one  grand 
patronymic,  and  we  shall  ever  hold  them  as  brethren  be- 
loved. God  forbid  that  the  time  should  ever  come  when 
we  shall  be  so  cramped  by  a  headless  and  heartless  big- 
otry, destitute  alike  of  thought  and  feeling,  that  we  can 
see  no  good  beyond  our  narrow  domicile,  and  have  no 
emotions  of  brotherly  kindness  for  those  of  another  fold. 

There  is  another  interesting  item  connected  with  the 
history  of  Methodism  in  Cincinnati  which,  although  we 
have  not  jfet  alluded  to  it,  constitutes,  if  we  judge  cor- 


WE8TEKN    METHODISM.  117 

rectly,  the  crowning  glory  of  Methodism  in  the  city,  if 
not  in  the  entire  west.  The  establishment  of  a  mission 
to  the  German  population  in  our  midst,  among  the  thou- 
sands of  infidel  Rationalists  and  semi-intidel  liouian  Cath- 
olics from  Germany,  was  the  beginning  of  an  enterprise 
which  has  been  attended  with  the  most  grand  and  glori- 
ous  results. 

As  commenced  Methodism  in  Cincinnati,  in  an  upper 
room,  with  but  twelve  hearers,  fifty  years  ago,  so  com- 
menced the  Herman  mission  eighteen  years  ago.  in 
the  upper  room  of  a  shanty  in  a  dark  alley.  The 
preacher  was  a  professor  of  Greek  and  oriental  litera- 
ture, from  the  halls  of  Tubingen,  a  fellow-student  of  the 
infidel  Strauss;  but  who,  in  the  v.-iids  of  the  west,  among 
the  Methodists,  found  salvation  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  and 
leaving  his  professor's  chair,  in  the  halls  of  Kcnyon, 
went  out  the  called  of  God  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  sal- 
vation to  his  dying  fellow-countrymen.  Though,  like  his 
divine  Master,  he  came  to  his  own,  and  his  own  received 
him  not,  but  persecuted  him,  and  cast  out  his  name  as 
evil,  he  still  persisted,  and  with  a  zeal  and  perseverance 
characteristic  of  the  German,  when  once  convinced  that 
he  is  right,  he  labored  on,  and  God  blessed  the  word  to 
the  awakening  and  conversion  of  his  countrymen.  Tho 
mission  from  time  to  time  received  reinforcements  from 
the  number  of  the  converted,  and  one  after  another,  as 
time  progressed,  God  called  the  Germans  into  the  field. 
One  of  the  early  converts,  who  was  a  learned  infidel,  be- 
came a  bright  and  shining  light,  and  carried  the  Gospel 
from  Cincinnati  to  his  brethren  in  Missouri,  where  mul- 
titudes were  converted;  and  that  same  minister  is  now  at 
the  head  of  a  successful  mission  in  Germany.  Others 
went  every-whcre  preaching  the  word,  as  the  disciples 
went  out  from  Jerusalem;  and  first  in  the  large  cities, 
then  in  the  villages  and  country  places  of  the  west  and 


118  SKETCHES    OF 

south,  wherever  there  were  Germans,  these  messengers 
carried  the.  glad  tidings  of  salvation.  Nor  did  the  mis- 
sion stop  in  the  west  j  it  went  back  to  the  east  and  the 
large  cities  and  towns,  as  far  as  Boston ;  had  missionaries 
sent  to  them,  and  societies  were  organized  all  over  the 
land  from  Maine  to  Louisiana.  From  this  mere  handful 
of  corn  what  a  mighty  harvest  has  already  been  gathered ! 
In  Cincinnati  there  are  four  churches,  some  quite  large ; 
and  in  almost  every  large  town  where  there  are  Germans, 
churches  have  been  erected.  No  mission  was  eve'r  estab- 
lished since  the  days  of  Pentecost  that  has  been  attended 
with  greater  success  There  are  now  in  the  United  States 
and  Germany  upward  of  one  hundred  ministers,  and 
twelve  thousand  members — a  larger  number  of  ministers 
and  members  than  was  embraced  in  the  entire  west  fifty 
years  ago.  In  connection  with  the  operations  of  the  Ger- 
man Church,  through  the  indefatigable  labors  of  Doctor 
Nast,  a  German  Methodist  literature  has  been  gotten  up, 
consisting  of  translations  of  standard  works  on  theology, 
Christian  experience,  biography,  etc. ;  and  the  Doctor  is 
now  employed  in  writing  a  Commentary  on  the  Bible, 
adapted  to  Methodist  theology,  for  the  use  of  the  minis- 
try and  membership.  For  many  years  the  Doctor  has 
been  editor  of  the  Christliche  Apologete,  which  has  a 
large  circulation.  Doctor  Jacoby,  of  Bremen,  also  edits 
and  publishes  a  religious  sheet  in  that  city.  But  as  we 
propose  only  a  sketch — a  mere  outline,  we  must  close. 

The  next  thing  of  a  denominational  character  to  which 
we  invite  attention,  as  serving  to  show  the  enterprise  of 
Methodism  in  Cincinnati,  is  the  establishment  of  a 
female  college.  In  the  fall  of  1840  Doctor  Elliott  gave 
an  account  of  his  travels  in  the  east,  in  the  Advocate,  in 
which  he  called  the  attention  of  the  Church  to  the  im- 
portance of  female  education,  and  continued  to  urge  the 
subject  till  the  year  1842,  when,  at  his  suggestion,  a 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  119 

meeting  was  called  for  the  purpose  of  devising  ways  and 
means  for  establishing  a  female  collegiate  institute.  The 
following  arc  the  official  proceedings  of  the  meetings  held 
on  the  subject: 

"At  a  special  meeting  of  the  preachers  of  Cincinnati, 
held  in  the  editors'  office  of  the  Western  Christian  Advo- 
cate, May  4th,  1842,  the  following  persons  were  present : 
L.  L.  Hamline,  C.  Elliott,  J.  L.  Grover,  G.  C.  Crum,  W. 
H.  Lawder,  A.  Miller,  W.  Nast,  T.  Harrison,  L.  Sworm- 
stedt,  J.  P.  Kilbreth,  and  W.  Ilerr.  The  meeting  was 
organized  by  calling  L.  L.  Hamline  to  the  chair,  and  ap- 
pointing W.  Herr  Secretary.  At  the  request  of  the  Chair 
the  object  of  the  meeting  was  explained  by  C.  Elliott; 
namely,  to  consult  on  the  expediency  of  taking  measures 
to  establish  in  this  city  a  female  institute  of  tho  highest 
possible  grade.  The  following  resolutions  were  presented 
and  adopted. 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  opinion  of  the  meeting  it  is 
deemed  advisable  to  call  a  public  meeting  to  consider 
the  practicability  of  establishing  in  Cincinnati  a  female 
institute. 

"Resolved,  That  a  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs.  El- 
liott, Hamline,  Herr,  Kilbreth,  Wright,  Grover,  Crum, 
Lawder,  Miller,  Neff,  H.  Decamp,  Thomas,  Williams,  and 
Nast,  report  a  plan  of  the  institute  to  be  laid  before  the 
general  meeting. 

"  On  motion,  it  was  agreed  that  the  committee  on  the 
plan  meet  on  next  Wednesday,  at  4  o'clock,  P.  M.,  at  the 
editors'  office. 

"  On  motion,  the  meeting  adjourned. 

"L.  L.  HAMLINE,  Chairman. , 

"W.  HERR,  Secretary. 

"May  11,  1842. 

"  The  committee  on  the  plan  met  pursuant  to  adjourn- 
ment: present,  S.  Williams,  C.  Elliott,  J.  L.  Groyer,  T. 
Harrison,  and  W.  Heir. 


120  SKETCHES    OF 

"  S.  Williams  was  called  to  the  chair.  The  report  of 
the  committee  was  called  for,  which  being  read  by  C. 
Elliott,  Chairman,  was  unanimously  adopted. 

"  Rcsolccd,  That  W.  Herr  and  J.  L.  Grover  be  a  com- 
mittee to  fix  on  the  time  and  place  for  a  public  meeting, 
in  order  to  submit  the  plan  of  a  female  institute  in  Cin- 
cinnati, and  give  due  notice  of  the  same. 

"There  being  no  further  business,  on  motion  the  com- 
mittee adjourned. 

"S.  WILLIAMS,  Chairman. 

"W.  HERR,  Secretary. 

"Pursuant  to  public  notice  given,  a  meeting  was  held  in 
Wesley  Chapel,  May  20th,  1842,  in  order  to  consult  on 
the  practicability  of  establishing  in  Cincinnati  a  female 
collegiate  institute.  L.  Swormstedt  was  called  to  the 
chair,  and  W.  Herr  was  appointed  Secretary.  After 
prayer,  C.  Elliott,  Chairman  of  the  committee,  appointed 
in  the  primary  meeting  to  report  on  the  subject  of  a 
female  institution,  presented  the  following  plan,  detailing 
the  general  principles  of  the  institute : 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  undersigned  persons,  held  May 
11,  1842,  the  following  proceedings  were  had : 

"Whereas,  There  is  great  need  for  improvement  in 
the  system  of  female  education,  as  it  respects  the  extent 
and  accuracy  of  the  course ;  and  whereas,  the  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Cincinnati,  both  ' 
need  and  are  able  to  maintain  a  female  literary  institute 
of  the  first  order,  of  the  following  description,  with  such 
other  marks  of  excellency  as  time,  experience,  and  cir- 
cumstances will  point  out;  it  is,  therefore,  important  that 
such  be  established  as  soon  as  possible. 

"The  contemplated  institution  should  embrace  all  the 
branches  of  female  education,  from  the  highest  to  thei 
lowest,  to  such  a  degree  as  not  to  be  exceeded,  if  possi- 
ble, by  any  similar  institution  in  the  whole  world. 


WESTERN  METHODISM.  121 

"  It  should  comprehend  the  following  departments  :  1 
The  common  English  department,  embracing  all  those 
branches  comprised  in  a  thorough  course  of  primary  in- 
struction. 

"2.  The  collegiate  department,  which  should  comprise 
a  good  collegiate  course  of  instruction  adapted  particu- 
larly for  females. 

8.  "The    Normal   department,    in   which   pupils   will 
be  prepared  to  become  efficient  teachers  for  schools  of 
•   every  grade,  particularly  the  common  schools,  and  female 
academies. 

"  4.  The  department  of  extras,  in  which  those  various 
branches,  not  necessary  for  all,  yet  useful  for  some,  should 
be  taught. 

"The  following  branches,  in  connection  with  such 
others  as  are  connected  with  a  thorough  course  of  in- 
struction, should  be  taught : 

"Reading;  Writing;  Arithmetic;  Geography;  History; 
Grammar ;  Rhetoric ;  Logic  ;  Book-Keeping ;  Needle- 
Work  in  all  its  branches;  Drawing  and  Painting;  Music, 
vocal  and  instrumental;  Mathematics,  Natural  Philoso- 
phy, Astronomy;  the  Natural  Sciences,  embracing  Zool- 
ogy, Botany,  Mineralogy,  Geology,  Chemistry;  Langua- 
ges, as  English,  Latin,  Greek,  Hebrew,  German,  French, 
etc.;  Mental  Philosophy;  Moral  Philosophy;  Biblical 
Studies,  such  as  the  Chronology,  History,  Geography, 
Antiquities,  Evidences,  etc.,  of  Christianity.  Other 
branches,  not  mentioned,  will  be  arranged  with  the  fore- 
going, in  systematic  order,  so  as  to  form  a  most  complete 
course  when  put  together. 

"  The  following  are  some  of  the  general  principles,  or 
characters,  which  should  designate  the  institution : 

"  It  should  be  a  Methodist  institution  to  all  intents  and 
purposes,  so  thai  the  principles  of  Christianity,  as  taught 
by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  would  be  constantly 

11 


122  SKETCHES    OF 

inculcated;  and  a  full  course  of  sound  Biblical  instruc- 
tion should  be  learned  by  all ;  and  all  3Iethodist  children 
should,  without  exception,  go  through  this  course  thor- 
oughly, in  view  of  their  becoming  good  Sabbath  school 
teachers  after  they  leave  the  institution,  and  as  far  as 
their  services  are  needed  while  they  continue  in  it.  Yet 
children  whose  parents  do  not  approve  it,  need  not  com- 
mit our  catechisms,  nor  receive  our  peculiar  views ;  but 
they  must  conform  to  our  mode  of  worship  and  general 
regulations. 

"The  ornamental  branches,  as  Music,  Painting,  etc.,  will 
be  pursued  in  reference  to  utility  and  the  practical  pur- 
poses of  life;  and  in  accordance  with  just  but  enlight- 
ened views  of  the  pure  religion  of  Christ. 

"It  will  be  desirable  that  the  institution  should  furnish 
all  the  aid  in  its  power  toward  the  education  of  poor 
female  children  and  girls,  both  for  their  individual  ben- 
efit, and  the  good  of  the  public,  in  preparing  them  to  be 
efficient  teachers. 

"A  boarding-house  would  be  necessary  for  the  purpose 
of  accommodating  those  pupils  who  would  come  from  a 
distance ;  while  the  children  of  the  citizens  would  be 
taught  both  as  day  scholars  and  as  pursuing  any  one 
branch  of  study  taught  in  the  institution,  yet  under 
proper  and  salutary  regulations. 

"The  city  of  Cincinnati  possesses  peculiar  advantages 
for  such  an  institution.  By  the  public  conveyances  cen- 
tering or  touching  here,  the  intercourse  from  any  point  is 
easy.  The  advantages  of  city  institutions  would  be 
esteemed  by  many.  Important  aids  could  be  derived 
from  literary  gentlemen  in  filling  up  some  of  the  profess- 
orships. 

"It  might  be  sufficient  public  endowment  to  furnish  the 
necessary  buildings  and  literary  apparatus,  leaving  the 
tuition  to  support  the  teachers,  if  possible ;  except  that 


WESTEKN    METHODISM.  123 

room  be  left  to  make  provision  for  poor  female  children 
and  girls. 

"The  undersigned  believe  that  the  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Cincinnati  need  such  an 
institution,  both  for  the  literary  and  religious  improve- 
ment of  their  children.  It  is  also  confidently  believed 
that  they  are  abundantly  able  to  undergo  the  expense 
both  of  tuition,  building,  and  apparatus.  And  thou-rh 
the  present  times  are  unfavorable  in  reference  to  the 
erection  of  buildings,  the  remedy  to  this  would  be  to 
rent  for  the  present,  and  afterward  to  purchase  a  lot  and 
build  at  a  time  more  favorable  for  procuring  funds  than 
the  present. 

"Entertaining  the  views  stated  above,  we  whose  names 
are  annexed,  deem  it  advisable  to  call  a  meeting  of  the 
members  and  friends  of  our  Church,  for  the  purpose  of 
examining  the  subject  more  thoroughly,  in  such  way  as 
they  may  think  proper,  for  the  purpose  of  adopting  im- 
mediate measures  toward  the  speedy  and  complete  estab- 
lishment of  a  high  female  literary  institute. 
CHARLES  ELLIOTT,  WM.  II.  LAWDEB, 

L.  L.  HAMLINE,  ADAM  MILLER, 

WM.  HERR,  WM.  NEFF, 

J.  P.  KILBRETH,  HARVEY  DECAMP, 

J.  F.  WRIGHT,  N.  W.  THOMAS, 

J.  L.  GROVER,  S.  WILLIAMS, 

G.  C.  Ciu  M,  W.  NAST. 

Cincinnati,  May  11,  1842. 

"Whereupon  it  was  moved  that  the  report  just  read  be 
adopted. 

"On  motion  a  committee  of  twenty-three  was  appointed, 
with  instructions  to  proceed  forthwith  to  establish,  a.s 
soon  as  practicable,  an  institution  according  to  the  plan. 
The  following  persons  composed  the  committee :  Bishop 
Morris,  Chairman ;  J.  L.  Grover,  W.  Neff,  J.  Lawrence, 


124  SKETCHES    OF 

Wesley  Chapel  charge;  W.  Herr,  J.  Gr.  Kust,  H.  Decamp, 
Fourth-street  do. ;  Gr.  C.  Crura,  "W.  Woodruff,  A.  Kiddle, 
Ninth-street  do. ;  W.  H.  Lawder,  S.  Williams,  Gr.  W. 
Townley,  Asbury  do. ;  M.  G.  Perkiser,  Burton  Hazen,  Mr. 
Litherberry,  Fulton  do. ;  W.  H.  Kaper,  J.  F.  Wright,  L. 
Swormstedt,  C.  Elliott,  L.  L.  Hamline,  W.  Nast,  and  A. 
Miller. 

"It  was  moved  that  the  proceedings  of  the  several  meet- 
ings, properly  signed,  be  forwarded  for  publication  in  the 
Western  Christian  Advocate. 

"On  motion,  the  meeting  adjourned  with  benediction. 
"  L.  SAVORMSTEDT,  Chairman. 

"W.  HERR,  Secretary." 

A  house  was  rented  on  Ninth-street,  from  Mr.  Wood- 
ruff, for  the  beginning  of  the  school;  but  being  found 
too  small,  the  committee  the  following  year  procured  the 
large  and  beautiful  residence  of  Mr.  John  lleeves,  on 
Seventh-street,  for  the  rent  of  which  ten  brethren  became 
individually  responsible.  In  a  short  time  the  committee, 
through  Dr.  Elliott,  procured  the  services  of  the  Rev.  P. 
B.  Wilber  and  lady,  from  Virginia,  and  the  Institute  was 
commenced  under  favorable  auspices.  In  November,  of 
the  same  year,  the  committee  published  the  course  of 
study  in  the  Preparatory  and  Collegiate  Departments, 
embracing  a  thorough  literary  and  classical  course,  requir- 
ing sis  years  to  complete  it.  The  next  month  the  Advo- 
cate announced  the  names  of  the  Board  of  Instruction, 
as  follows:  Rev.  P.  B.  Wilber,  Principal;  Mrs.  C.  Wil- 
ber, Governess;  Miss  Mary  De  Forest,  Assistant;  Miss 
Enieline  Tompkins,  Assistant  in  the  Primary  Department; 
W.  Nixon,  Professor  of  Music.  A  building  had  been 
erected  on  the  grounds  of  the  lleeves  mansion  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  pupils,  and  the  school  was  repre- 
sented as  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

In  the  month  of  February,  1843,  it  was  announced, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  125 

through  the  columns  of  the  Advocate,  that  the  second 
session  of  the  Institute  would  commence  in  the  new  and 
elegant  college  building,  on  Seventh-street,  with  a  large 
increase  of  students.     The  following  spring  session  was 
opened  with  a  still  greater  accession  of  pupils;  and  dur- 
ing the  preceding  winter  the  Legislature  of  Ohio  granted 
an  act  of  incorporation,   conferring  all  the  powers  and 
privileges   necessary  for  an  institution   of  the   highest 
grade.     To  the  faculty  were  added  two  additional  assist- 
ants; namely,  Miss  Stagg  and  Miss  Harmon.     Arrange- 
ments were  also  made  for  procuring  a  philosophical  and 
chemical  apparatus.     At  the  close  of  the  session  lengthy 
and  highly-commendatory  articles,  relating  to  the  exam- 
ination  of  the  classes,  appeared  in  the  Cincinnati  Gazette 
and  Cincinnati  Chronicle.     The  next  session  commenced 
with  still  an  increase  of  boarding  and  day  scholars,  and 
at  its  close  the  number  amounted  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty.     The  Cincinnati  Chronicle  contained  the  reports  of 
the  several  Examining  Committees,  consisting  of  £.  P. 
Langdon,  A.  N.   Kiddle,    S.   Lewis,   W.   Green,   0.   M. 
Mitchell,  S.  Williams,  J.  Stille,  11.  S.  Foster,  S.  A.  Latta, 
J.  P.  Kilbreth,  S.  Morrison,  and  Thomas  Biggs,  all  of 
whom  expressed  their  entire  satisfaction  of  tlje  thorough- 
ness of  the  young  ladies  in  their  respective  studies.     At 
the  same  time  a  letter  appeared  from  the  pen  of  Profes- 
sor Merrick,  commending  the  Institute  to  the  patronage 
of  the  public.     The  Commencement  exercises  of  1845 
constituted  a  brilliant  era  in  the  history  of  the  institu- 
tion.    They  were  held   in    the   Ninth-Street  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  which  was  crowded  in  every  part.     B. 
Storer,  Esq.,   delivered  an  eloquent  address  before  the 
Young  Ladies'  Lyceum,  after  which  the  graduates  read 
their  compositions,  and  received  their  degrees  as  Mis- 
tresses of  English  and  Classical  Literature.     The  plan  of 
the  original  proprietors  was  now  no  longer  an  experiment, 

11* 


126  SKETCHES    OF 

and  the  Female  College  from  this  point  started  out  on  its 
high  and  glorious  career. 

The  boarding-house  and  college  edifice,  notwithstand- 
ing enlargements  had  been  made,  being  inadequate  to 
accommodate  the  numerous  pupils  that  flocked  to  the 
institution  from  various  parts  of  the  country,  it  was  re- 
solved by  the  Board  to  purchase  the  large  mansion  owned 
by  Henry  Starr,  Esq.,  on  Vine-street.  This  property 
extended  from  Vine  to  College-street,  and  the  grounds 
around  it  being  large  and  tastefully  ornamented,  it  was 
considered  the  most  desirable  location  in  the  city.  The 
purchase  was  in  due  time  made,  and  a  large  college  edifice 
erected  on  College-street  sufficient  to  accommodate  five 
hundred  pupils.  From  year  to  year  the  college  has  sent 
out  scores  of  graduates  to  all  parts  of  the  country;  and 
the  numbers  enrolled  on  the  catalogue  have  gradually 
increased,  till  now  there  are  nearly  five  hundred.  Large 
as  are  the  preparations  which  were  made  to  accommodate 
the  pupils,  yet  during  the  past  year  the  Board  found  ii 
necessary  to  put  up  an  additional  building,  and  to  pur- 
chase additional  grounds.  Under  the  superintendence 
of  Mr.  Wiibcr  and  his  lady,  the  institution,  from  the 
beginning,  has  gone  on  prospering,  and  its  patronage  is 
greater  than  all  other  institutions"  of  a  similar  character 
in  the  city  combined.  From  a  small  school,  with  two  or 
three  teachers,  the  Wesleyan  College  has  now  nearly  five 
hundred  pupils,  and  nineteen  teachers  in  the  various 
departments  of  study. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  notice  in  this  connection  the 
Wesleyan  Cemetery,  located  on  an  eligible  and  beautiful 
tract  of  ground,  about  four  miles  from  the  city,  up  the 
Millcreek  Valley.  The  old  cemetery  in  the  city,  belong- 
ing to  the  Church,  having  been  filled,  or  nearly  so,  with 
the  remains  of  the  dead,  it  was  not  only  deemed  advisa- 
ble, but  necessary,  to  seek  a  burial-place  elsewhere. 


VTESTEEN    METHODISM.  127 

Accordingly,  the  selection  above  alluded  to  Was  made;  and 
in  the  year  1842  the  ground  was  laid  out  and  dedicated 
to  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  designed — a  peaceful 
resting-place  for  the  dead.  Many  tasteful  improvements 
have  been  made  on  this  rural  spot  since  it  was  laid  out 
into  burial-lots.  In  the  center,  on  an  elevation,  which 
commands  a  fine  view,  is'  the  Cemetery  vault,  surrounded 
by  a  circular,  graveled  carriage-way,  with  roads  leading 
in  every  direction  through  the  grounds.  The  numerous 
monuments,  family-vaults,  and  inclosures  of  this  Cemetery 
present  a  fine  appearance;  and  when  we  gaze  upon  these 
quiet  and  beautiful  resting-places  the  grave  is  robbed  of 
half  its  terrors.  To  have  a  lot  in  this  city  of  the  dead, 
removed  from  the  din  and  strife  of  business,  and  the 
avaricious  hand  of  man,  which  would  even  invade  the 
sacred  precincts  of  the  grave  itself  to  gratify  its  lust  for 
gain,  is  a  pleasant  reflection.  Here  affection  and  friend- 
ship in  quietude  may  drop  their  tears  and  plant  their 
flowers  over  the  graves  of  their  beloved. 

To  show  the  reader  the  improvements  which  have  been 
made  on  the  grounds,  as  well  as  those  which  are  contem- 
plated, we  subjoin  an  extract  from  the  report  of  the  Di- 
rectors of  the  Cemetery,  recently  presented.  It  is  as 
follows : 

"The  carriage-ways  have  been,  wherever  practicable, 
widened  from  being  only  twelve  to  twenty  feet,  and  well 
graded  and  graveled.  The  grounds  have  been  cleared  of 
weeds  and  bushes,  and  smoothed,  so  as  to  show  a  neat, 
pleasant,  grassy  surface.  At  the  rear,  in  the  western 
part  of  the  grounds,  a  romantic  grove  of  natural  growth, 
of  stately  beeches,  overshadows  some  secluded  dells. 
Through  these  dells  wind  well-graded  and,  where  neces- 
sary, paved  roads,  inviting  to  pensive  walks.  A  new 
preachers'  lot,  thirty-two  feet  square,  has  been  beautifully 
located,  and  is  to  be  well  inclosed  and  adorned.  Trees 


128  SKETCHES    OF 

and  shrubbery  have  been  set  along  the  ways,  and  it 
is  intended  to  have  and  keep  all  the  footwalks  of  the 
Cemetery  well  graded  and  sodded,  and  skirted  with 
shrubs  and  flowers.  A  provision  has  been  made  to  have 
a  nursery  at  the  ground,  for  a  variety  of  trees  and  shrub- 
bery and  flowering  plants,  to  readily  supply  persons  using 
the  Cemetery  for  interment.  This  is  done  by  leasing  an 
acre,  to  the  right  of  the  main  entrance,  for  such  purpose, 
and  under  contract  to  furnish  such  supply.  A  new,  two- 
story  brick  sexton's  house  has  been  erected,  and  is  now 
occupied,  at  the  left  of  the  main  entrance.  This  house 
is  built  in  a  rural  style,  which  has  so  pleased  the  eye  that 
at  least  one  model  of  it  has  been  already  taken  for  imita- 
tion. It  is  also  in  negotiation  to  have  a  new  brick  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  chapel  erected,  at  the  right  of  the  nursery 
before  mentioned,  on  low  ground  rather  unfit  for  inter- 
ments, one  hundred  feet  in  front,  by  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  deep  from  the  center  of  the  turnpike,  or  high- 
way, to  be  exchanged  for  the  present  high  grounds  of 
the  chapel,  of  very  good  quality  for  interments,  and  from 
which  there  is  an  extensive  and  beautiful  landscape  view, 
at  the  north-west  corner  of  the  Cemetery  tract.  A  com- 
mittee is  appointed  to  examine  the  project  of  such  ex- 
change, and,  if  feasible,  effect  it.  It  is  also  intended 
further  to  grade  and  smooth  the  Cemetery  tract,  and  to 
set  and  cultivate  entirely  around  it  a  hedge  of  Osage 
orange;  and,  in  fine,  completely  to  improve  and  embellish 
the  grounds,  as  much  as  the  best  taste  and  the  funds  of 
the  Directors  will  admit." 


WE6TEKN    METHODISM.  129 


CHAPTER  VI. 

i'RANCIS    rOYTHREiJS-. 

WE  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  the  time,  or  the 
place  of  the  birth  of  the  above-named  pioueer  preacher. 
From  the  Minutes  we  learn  that  he  was  received  on  trial. 
in  the  traveling  connection,  at  the  conference  held  in 
Baltimore  in  May,  1776.  The  conference  was  at  that 
time  in  ecclesiastical  connection  with  the  British  confer- 
ence, and  the  preachers  were  all  bound  to  yield  implicit 
obedience  to  Mr.  Wesley's  authority,  taking  the  doctrines 
and  Discipline,  as  contained  in  the  Minutes,  for  the  sole 
rule  of  their  conduct.  The  preachers  were  forbidden  to 
administer  any  of  the  ordinances,  and  the  people  were 
required,  with  their  pastors,  to  attend  the  Episcopal 
Church  and  receive  the  ordinances  there,  particularly 
those  who  resided  in  Maryland  and  Virginia.  No 
preacher  was  allowed  to  reprint  any  of  Mr.  Wesley's 
books  without  his  consent. 

Some  of  the  conversations  which  occurred  at  the  con- 
ferences, and  are  recorded  in  the  Minutes,  are  worthy  of 
observation.  Among  others  were  the  following:  No 
preacher,  who  sustained  the  relation  of  a  helper  or  assist- 
ant, was  allowed  to  make  any  alterations  in  the  circuit,  or 
take  in  any  new  preaching-places,  without  consulting  his 
superior.  Every  exhortcr  was  prohibited  from  going  to 
any  place  to  exercise  his  gifts,  except  where  directed. 
The  preachers  were  required  to  meet  the  children  once  a 
fortnight,  and  examine  the  parents  with  regard  to  their 
conduct  toward  them.  No  local  preacher  was  allowed  to 


130  SKETCHES    OF 

preach  without  having  a  written  permit  every  quarter. 
All  preachers  were  required  to  rise  at  four  o'clock — at 
the  latest  five  o'clock.  They  were  required  to  continue 
in  close  connection  with  the  Church;  that  is,  the  Church 
of  England,  and  request  the  clergy  to  administer  the 
ordinances  to  their  people.  Traveling  preachers  who 
held  slaves  were  required  to  give  promise  of  freedom. 
All  members  who  distilled  grain  into  liquor  were  dis- 
owned. In  regard  to  singing,  all  the  preachers  who  had 
any  knowledge  of  the  notes  were  required  to  improve  it 
by  learning  to  sing  true  themselves,  and  keeping  close  to 
Mr.  Wesley's  tunes  and  hymns. 

After  his  admission,  young  Poythrcss  was  appointed  to 
Carolina  circuit.  In  1778  he  was  appointed  to  Hanover 
circuit,  and  the  succeeding  years,  up  to  1784,  to  Sussex, 
New  Hope,  Fairfax,  Talbot,  and  Alleghany.  In  1785, 
which  was  the  year  following  the  conference  at  which  a 
separate  ecclesiastical  organization  was  agreed  upon,  and 
the  societies  assumed  the  name  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  he  was  stationed  in  the  city  of  Baltimore. 
In  the  year  1780  he  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  a 
district  composed  of  the  following  circuits;  namely, 
Brunswick,  Sussex,  Amelia,  Williamsburg,  Orange,  Bed- 
ford, and  Hanover.  The  succeeding  year  he  was  presid- 
ing elder  of  a  district  composed  of  Guilford,  Fairfax, 
New  Hope,  and  Caswell  circuits.  In  1788  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  James  Haw  as  elder  of  a  district  embracing 
Lexington,  Danville,  and  Cumberland.  The  following- 
year  he  was  alone  on  the  above  district,  and  continued 
from  year  to  year,  the  district  being  enlarged  from  time 
to  time  by  the  addition  of  new  circuits,  till  the  year 
1797,  when,  from  excessive  labors,  occasioned  by  the 
most  fatiguing  travel  and  hardships,  such  as  would  break 
down  any  man  of  the  present  day,  he  was  placed  in  a 
supernumerary  relation,  and  John  Kobler  succeeded  him 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  131 

on  the*  district.  In  1797  lie  again  entered  the  effective 
ranks,  and  was  appointed  elder  of  a  district  composed  of 
New  River,  Russell,  Holston,  and  Green.  We  give  the 
names  of  the  circuits  composing  the""districts  at  that  early 
day,  because  the  districts  had  no  name  by  which  they 
could  bo  otherwise  designated.  The  practice  of  naming 
the  districts  was  not  adopted  till  the  year  1801. 

The  next  year  he  was  sent  back  to  his  old  district.  In 
the  year  1800  he  was  sent  to  a  district  in  North  Carolina, 
embracing  fifteen  circuits.  His  removal  to  a  new  field, 
among  strangers,  and  tho  subjection,  if  possible,  to  greater 
hardships  than  he  had  endured  on  his  former  fields,  alone 
and  friendless,  without  a  companion,  save  the  companion- 
ship which  he  found  at  different  and  distant  points  among 
his  brethren,  preyed  heavily  upon  his  system,  shattering 
his  nerves,  and  making  fearful  inroads  upon  a  mind  natu- 
rally of  a  too  contemplative,  if  not  sotnber  cast;  and 
seasons  of  gloom  and  darkness  gathered  around  him. 
He  should  at  once  have  desisted,  and  sought  that  rest  and 
society  for  which  he  so  much  longed,  among  the  friends 
and  companions  of  his  youth;  but,  alas!  the  necessity 
that  rested  in  those  days  upon  a  Methodist  preacher, 
stern  as  fate,  kept  him  at  his  post,  and  he  toiled  on  till 
his  shattered  frame,  like  the  broken  strings  of  a  harp, 
could  only  sigh  to  the  winds  that  swept  through  it;  and 
his  mind,  in  deep  sympathy  with  his  brain,  became  alike 
shattered  and  deranged.  The  next  year  he  came  back  to 
Kentucky,  but  the  light  of  the  temple  was  gone,  and  the 
eye  which  shot  the  fires  of  genius  and  intelligence,  now 
wildly  stared  upon  the  face  of  old,  loving,  long-tried 
friends  as  though  they  were  strangers.  Here  he  re- 
mained till  death  released  him  and  sent  his  spirit  home. 
•Poor  Poythress!  Bravely  didst  thou  toil  and  endure 
hardness  on  the  well-fought  field.  A  campaign  of  twen- 
ty-four years  of  incessant  toil  in  the  gloomy  wilds  of  the 


132  SKETCHES    OF 

west,  away  from  friends  and  loved  ones  at  home,  proved 
too  much  for  thy  nature  to  bear.  But  thou  art  gone 
"where  the  wicked  cease  to  trouble,  and  the  weary  are  at 
rest." 

The  Kev.  Thomas  Scott,  a  personal  friend  of  the  de- 
ceased, and  himself  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  western 
Methodism,  has  furnished,  among  other  interesting  bio- 
graphical and  historical  sketches,  an  account  of  some 
personal  reminiscences  connected  with  the  melancholy 
fate  of  this  zealous  and  indefatigable  itinerant,  which  we 
subjoin  : 

"Our  acquaintance  with  him  commenced  in  April, 
1794,  and  continued  without  much  interruption  for  about 
six  years,  during  which  period  we  learned  from  him  the 
following  particulars :  On  the  death  of  his  father  he  in- 
herited a  handsome  personal  and  real  estate;  and  being, 
in  early  life,  thus  left,  without  any  one  to  control  his  ac- 
tions, he  yielded  to  the  impulses  of  his  passions,  which 
were  violent,  and  rushed  into  all  the  follies  and  vices  of 
youth.  The  circumstance  which  brought  him  to  review 
his  past  life,  was  the  reproof  of  a  lady  of  elevated  stand- 
ing in  society.  Her  reproof  carried  conviction  to  his 
heart.  He  left  her  house  in  confusion,  and  on  his  way 
home  resolved  to  mend  his  ways.  He  commenced  read- 
ing the  Scriptures  and  praying  in  secret — soon  saw  and 
felt  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,  and  groaned  to  be 
released  from  its  galling  chain.  That  led  him  to  inquire 
after  those  persons  whom  he  supposed  capable  of  instruct- 
ing him  in  the  right  way;  but  for  a  long  time  he  sought 
in  vain.  At  length  he  heard  of  the  Rev.  Deveraur  Janet, 
an  Episcopalian  clergyman  of  learning  and  deep  piety, 
then  residing  in  a  remote  part  of  Virginia,  whom  he  vis- 
ited, and  with  whom  he  remained  a  considerable  time, 
hearing  and  receiving  instruction.  Having  at  length  ob- 
tained redemption  in  the  blood  of  Jesus,  he  soon  became 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  133 

sensible  of  his  call  to  the  ministry.  He  conferred  not 
with  flesh  and  blood,  but  immediately  commenced  his 
itinerant  career,  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of 
God  to  all  who  would  hear.  This  was  prior  to  the  time 
in  which  our  Methodist  preachers  reached  that  part  of 
Virginia  in  which  he  lived.  On  one  of  his  preaching 
excursions  through  the  southern  parts  of  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina,  he  fell  in  with  one  of  our  traveling 
preachers — whose  name  we  have  forgotten — with  whom 
he  formed  an  acquaintance,  who  furnished  him  with  the 
doctrines  and  Discipline  of  our  Church,  as  drawn  up  by 
Mr.  Wesley.  These  he  read  and  attentively  considered, 
and  being  convinced  they  were  based  on  the  Scriptures 
of  divine  revelation,  he  applied  for  admission,  and  was 
received  into  union  and  fellowship  in  the  Church. 

"The  Minutes  of  the  several  annual  conferences  show 
all  the  circuits  he  traveled,  except  one,  an*d  districts  over 
which  he  presided.  They  are  as  follows :  1776,  Carolina. 
We  are  unable  to  name  the  circuit  he  traveled  the  follow- 
ing year;  but  from  the  facts  that  in  1778  he  was  received 
into  full  connection,  and  appointed  to  the  charge  of 
Hanover  circuit,  we  infer  that  he  traveled  some  circuit  in 
1777.  In  1779,  Sussex;  1780,  New  Hope ;  1781,  Fairfax ; 
1782,  Talbot;  and  1783,  Alleghany.  In  that  year,  we 
believe,  he  extended  his  ministerial  labors  across  the 
Alleghany  Mountains  on  to  the  waters  of  the  Little 
Youghiogheny.  In  1784,  Colvert;  and  1785,  Baltimore. 
In  1786  he  was  ordained  an  elder  in  the  Church,  and  pre- 
sided over  the  district  composed  of  Brunswick,  Sussex, 
and  Amelia  circuits.  From  the  fact  that  in  1786  he  was 
ordained  an  elder,  we  infer  that  in  1785  he  was  ordained 
a  deacon;  and  if  so,  he  was  among  the  first  of  our  Amer- 
ican preachers  who  were  ordained  to  that  office.  In  1787 
he  presided  over  the  district  composed  of  the  circuits  of 
Guilford,  Halifax,  New  Hope,  and  Caswell,  and  in  1788 
•  12 


134  SKETCHES   OF 

he  was  transferred  to  Kentucky;  and,  in  conjunction  with 
the  Rev.  James  Haw,  appointed  to  preside  over  the  dis- 
trict composed  of  the  Lexington,  Danville,  and  Cumber- 
land circuits.  Haw,  we  believe,  presided  over  the  latter, 
and  Poythress  over  the  two  former  of  these  circuits.  In 
1799  Haw's  functions  as  presiding  elder  ceased,  and 
Poythress  presided  over  the  entire  district.  In  1790 
Madison  and  Limestone  circuits  were  formed,  and  added 
to  his  district.  In  1791  the  circuits  south  of  the  Ken- 
tucky river  were  reformed,  the  name  of  Madison  being 
dropped,  and  that  of  Salt  River  substituted;  and  brother 
Poythress  continued  to  preside  over  the  district.  In 

1792  the  following  circuits  were  added  to  his  district: 
Greenbrier,    Cowpasture,    Bottetourt,    and   Bedford.     In 

1793  the  four  circuits  last  named  were  taken  from  his 
district,  but  Hinkston  circuit,  then  formed,  was  added  to 
it.     There  was  no  other  change  made  in  the  bounds  of 
his  district  during  the  years  1794,  1795,  and  1796,  ex- 
cept  that   in   this   last-named   year   Shelby  circuit  was 
formed,  and,  together  with  Logan   and  Guilford,  added 
to    it.     In    1797    Shelby  circuit   was   dropped,   and    the 
Rev.  John  Kobler  was  appointed  presiding  elder,  and  the 
Rev.  Francis  Poythress  supernumerary,  over  the  district. 
In  the  fall  of  that  year  brother  Kobler  crossed  over  on 
the  north-west  side  of  the  Ohio  river,  and  formed  the 
Miami  circuit,  and  brother  Poythress  resumed  his  station 
on  the  district,  over  which  he  continued  to  preside  till 
the  end  of  that  year.     In  1798  the  Rev.  Francis  Poy- 
thress and  Jonathan  Bird  were  appointed  presiding  elders 
of  the  district  composed  of  New  River,  Russell,  Holston, 
and  Green   circuits,  and  Rev.  Valentine  Cook  was  ap- 
pointed   presiding    elder   over    the    Kentucky    district. 
Shortly  after  brother  Cook's  arrival  in  Kentucky — and 
we  feel  quite  sure  it  was-  before  he  had  completed  one 
round   on   his   district — he   received    instructions   from 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  135 

Bishop  Asbury  to  take  charge  of  Bethel  Acadeniy,  then 
on  the  decline  for  want  of  a  suitable  teacher,  and  brother 
Poythress  was  instructed  to  take  charge  of  the  district. 
Cook,  therefore,  took  charge  of  the  Academy,  Poythress 
of  the  district,  and  Bird  remained  on  the  station  to  which 
he  had  been  appointed.  In  1799  New  River,  Holstou, 
and  Russell,  Green  and  Miami  circuits  were  added  to  the 
Kentucky  district,  and  brother  Poythress  was  appointed 
presiding  elder  over  it.  Late  in  the  fall  of  that  year  his 
bodily  and  mental  powers  gave  way  and  fell  into  ruins. 
In  1800  he  was,  however,  appointed  presiding  elder  of 
the  district  composed  of  Morganton  and  Swanino,  Yad- 
kin,  Salisbur}-,  Haw  River,  Guilfurd,  Franklin,  Caswell, 
Tar  River,  Newborn,  Goshen,  Wilmington,  Contentney, 
Pamlico,  Roanoke,  Matamuskeet,  and  Banks,  but  his 
affliction  rendered  it  impracticable  for  him  to  take  the 
station  assigned  him. 

"Upon  inspecting  the  bound  Minutes,  page  245,  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  Rev.  William  M'Kendree  was,  iu  that 
year,  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the  district  composed 
of  Greenbrier,  Bottetourt,  Bedford,  Orange,  Amherst, 
Williamsburg  and  Hanover,  and  Gloucester  circuits,  and 
that  no  presiding  elder  is  named  for  the  Kentucky  dis- 
trict. So  soon  as  Bishop  Asbury  received  information  of 
the  malady  under  which  brother  Poythress  was  suffering, 
he  gave  instructions  to  brother  M'rCendree  to  proceed  to 
Kentucky  and  take  charge  of  the  district;  and  about  the 
latter  end  of  the  summer  of  that  year  brother  M'Kendree 
oame  on  to  the  district.  In  1802  and  1803  the  name 
of  brother  Poythress  stands  recorded  in  the  Minutes 
among  the  elders,  but  without  any  station  being  as- 
signed him;  after  which  we  anxiously  sought  for  his 
name,  but  it  was  not  there.  We  have  heard  that  he  died 
many  years  since,  but  when  and  how  he  died  we  are  un- 
informed. 


136  SKETCHES    OF 

"Bishop  Asbury  visited  Kentucky  for  the  first  time  in 
1790,  after  which  he  never  visited  that  state — if  we 
rightly  remember — till  subsequent  to  the  year  1800;  and 
during  these  periods  brother  Poythress  presided  over  each 
animal  conference  which  sat  in  Kentucky,  and  the  sta- 
tioning of  the  preachers  and  government  of  the  societies 
within  his  district  were  almost  exclusively  confided  to 
him  by  the  Bishop. 

"Bishop  Asbury  was  an  excellent  judge  of  men.  He 
was  intimately  acquainted  with  brother  Poythress;  and 
the  stations  to  which  he  appointed  him  furnishes  conclu- 
sive evidence  of  the  estimate  he  set  upon  him  as  a  man 
and  Christian  minister. 

"Brother  Poythress  was  grave  in  his  deportment,  and 
chaste  in  his  conversation,  constant  in  his  private  devo- 
tions, and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  ministerial 
duties.  We  have  no  recollection  of  his  having  ever  dis- 
appointed a  congregation,  unless  prevented  by  sickness  or 
disease.  As  often  as  practicable  he  visited  from  house  to 
house,  instructed  and  prayed  in  the  family.  Among  the 
preachers  he,  like  most  other  men,  may  have  had  his  par- 
ticular favorites,  but  all  were  treated  by  him  with  due 
benevolence  and  Christian  respect.  He  was  unwearied 
in  his  efforts  to  unite  the  traveling  and  local  ministry  as 
a  band  of  brothers,  so  that  their  united  efforts  might  be 
exerted  in  furthering  the  cause  of  God.  As  the  weight 
of  all  the  Churches  in  his  district  rested  upon  him,  he 
sensibly  felt  the  responsibility  of  his  station,  and  put 
forth  his  utmost  efforts  to  discharge,  with  fidelity,  these 
important  trusts  which  had  been  confided  to  him.  The 
education  of  the  rising  generation  he  deemed  to  be 
intimately  connected  with  the  interests  of  the  Church, 
and  the  result  of  that  conviction  was  the  erection  of 
Bethel  Academy.  The  erection  of  that  institution,  we 
are  quite  certain,  met  the  approbation  of  Mr.  Asbury, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  137 

and  a  majority  of  the  traveling  and  local  preachers  of 
that  day. 

"The  conversational  powers  of  brother  Poythress  were 
not  of  a  high  order ;  yet  when  he  did  engage  in  general 
conversation,  he  maintained  his  part  with  propriety,  evin- 
cive of  an  extensive  knowledge  of  men  and  things.  His 
rank  as  a  preacher  was  not  much  above  mediocrity.  He 
was,  however,  sound  in  the  faith,  in  doctrine,  in  purity. 
There  are  many  words  in  common  use  which  he  could  not 
pronounce  correctly;  this  wo  attributed  to  the  loss  of  his 
teeth. 

"He  was — if  we  rightly  remember — about  five  feet 
eight  or  nine  inches  in  hight,  and  heavily  built.  His 
muscles  were  large,  and  when  in  the  prime  of  life,  we 
presume,  he  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  muscular 
strength.  He  dressed  plain  and  neafr.  When  we  first 
saw  him,  we  suppose,  he  had  passed  hit  sixtieth  year. 
His  muscles  were  quite  flaccid,  eyes  sunken  in  his  head, 
hair  gray — turned  back,  hanging  down  on  his  shoul- 
ders— complexion  dark,  and  countenance  grave,  inclining 
to  melancholy.  His  step  was,  however,  firm,  and  general 
appearance  such  as  to  command  the  respectful  consider- 
ation of  others.  He  possessed  high,  honorable  feelings, 
and  a  deep  sense  of  moral  obligation.  In  general,  he 
was  an  excellent  disciplinarian.  He  endeavored  to  probe 
to  the  bottom  each  wound  in  the  Church,  in  order  that  a 
radical  cure  might  be  effected ;  but  would  never  consent  to 
expel  from  the  bosom  of  the  Church  those  who  evidenced 
contrition  and  amendment.  And  when^ree  from  the 
morbid  action  of  his  system,  to  which  it  becomes  our 
painful  duty  to  refer,  we  esteemed  him  to  be  a  man  of 
sound  discriminating  judgment.  We,  however,  claim 
not  for  him  exemption  from  error,  the  common  frailty  of 
man,  and  therefore  concede  to  our  excellent  friend  Da- 
viess,  of  Kentucky,  that  he  may  have  inflicted  a  wound 

12* 


138  SKETCHES    OF 

on  the  character  of  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Ogden.  But  we 
can  not  concede  it  as  a  fact  that  brother  Poythress  was 
influenced,  in  his  conduct,  by  an  impure  or  wicked  mo- 
tive. We  were  too  long  and  intimately  acquainted  with 
him  to  harbor,  for  one  moment;  an  idea  so  uncharitable 
and  derogatory  to  his  Christian  character. 

"We  never  had  the  pleasure  of  personal  acquaintance 
with  brother  Ogden,  but  having  heard  him  preach  his 
last  sermon  east  of  the  Mountains,  in  1786,  when  on  his 
journey,  as  a  missionary  to  Kentucky,  we  read,  with  great 
satisfaction,  Mr.  Daviess's  vindication  of  his  character- 
We,  however,  thought  there  were,  in  that  vindication, 
some  expressions  a  little  too  harsh,  and  calculated  to  lead 
others  to  an  erroneous  conclusion  respecting  the  character 
of  brother  Poythress. 

"  Symptoms  of  insanity  were,  at  times,  discoverable  in 
brother  Poythress  several  years  prior  to  the  time  he 
ceased  to  travel  and  to  preach,  and  such  may  have  been 
his  situation  at  the  time  the  unpleasant  circumstance 
occurred  to  which  brother  Daviess  refers.  We,  therefore, 
put  it  to  him  to  say  whether  the  vail  of  Christian  charity 
ought  to  be  drawn  over  actions  induced  by  a  morbid  ex- 
citement of  the  system,  materially  affecting,  at  the  time, 
his  intellectual  faculties. 

"During  the  latter  part  of  the  summer,  fall,  and  win- 
ter of  1794  and  1795,  brother  Poythress,  at  times,  exhib- 
ited the  appearance  of  a  man  whose  mind  was  drawn  off 
from  surrounding  objects;  and  in  that  situation  he  would 
remain  for  one*or  more  hours,  when  his  system  appeared 
to  react,  and  he  would  engage  in  conversation  as  usual. 
At  other  times  he  complained  of  giddiness  and  pain  in 
his  head,  and  his  stomach  and  bowels  appeared  to  be 
affected  with  flatulency  and  acrid  eructations.  A  general 
listlessness,  irksomeness,  and  disgust  seemed  to  overwhelm 
him.  His  countenance  appeared  sad  and  sullen,  and  he 


WE8TEEN    METHODISM.  139 

evinced  an  utter  aversion  and  inability  to  engage  in  busi- 
ness of  importance.  At  such  times,  he  usually  betook 
himself  to  bed,  but  did  not  appear  to  sleep  soundly. 
These  symptoms  became  more  frequent  during  the  fore- 
part of  the  year  1795,  and  would  sometimes  last  for 
hours.  Near  the  close  of  the  summer  of  1795  the  llev. 
Aquilla  Sugg,  who  traveled  the  Lexington  circuit,  in 
consequence  of  bad  health  was  rendered  incapable  of 
performing  effective  service ;  and,  at  the  request  of 
brother  Poythress,  we  took  charge  of  the  circuit  till  the 
ensuing  spring.  Our  first  quarterly  meeting  was  held  in 
a  small  log  meeting-house,  not  far  from  Versailles,  Wood- 
ford  county.  On  Saturday  brother  Poythress  arrived  just 
before  the  time  for  commencing  the  public  exercises — 
complained  of  being  exceedingly  unwell,  and  went  to 
bed.  In  a  few  minutes  he  called,  and  said,  ( Brother 
Scott,  you  must  conduct  the  quarterly  meeting,  I  can  take 
no  part  in  the  public  exercises.'  On  returning  from 
meeting  we  found  him  still  in  bed,  but  finally  prevailed 
on  him  to  get  up.  We  then  walked  out  together,  but 
had  not  proceeded  far  out  of  the  hearing  of  others,  when 
be  suddenly  stopped,  and  said,  '  Brother  Scott,  I  am  a 
ruined  man ;  a  conspiracy  has  been  formed  against  me  by 
my  sister  Prior,  Mr.  Willis  Green,  and  brother  Simon 
Adams.  My  sister  Prior  charges  me  with  having  kept 
back  part  of  the  price  of  some  negroes  I  sold  for  her 
several  years  since;  Mr.  Willis  Green  accuses  me  with 
having  embezzled  part  of  the  money  I  collected  for 
Bethel  Academy;  and  brother  Adams +QCUSCS  me  with 
having  taken  advantage  of  him  in  the  purchase  of  a 
horse;  the  officers  of  justice*  are  now  in  pursuit  of  me. 
I  shall  soon  be  incarcerated  in  prison,  my  character 
ruined,  and  the  Church  disgraced.'  I  assured  him  I 
knew  each  of  those  individuals  to  be  his  fast,  adhering 
friend,  and  incapable  of  harboring  a  suspicion  injurious 


140  SKETCHES    OF 

to  his  character,  and  that  he  might  rest  assured  that 
the)  had  not  formed  a  conspiracy  against  him.  But  all 
I  said  had  no  effect,  and  he  pertinaciously  insisted  that 
what  he  had  said  was  true,  and  said,  'they  were  then 
engaged  in  drawing  others  into  their  conspiracy.'  Dur- 
ing that  conversation  his  countenance  exhibited  a  ghastly 
appearance,  and  his  whole  frame  trembled.  On  return- 
in<>-  to  the  house  he  again  retired  to  bed,  where  he  re- 

o  o  / 

mained — if  we  rightly  remember — with  his  head  generally 
covered,  till  the  next  Monday  morning,  when  he  was 
again  prevailed  on  to  get  out  of  bed.  After  he  had  taken 
some  refreshments,  we  again  walked  out  together,  and  I 
urged  him  to  return  home  to  his  sister's,  assured  him  no 
conspiracy  had  been  formed  against  him,  and  that  if  all 
he  imagined  were  true,  it  was  far  better  for  him  promptly 
to  meet  the  danger  than  to  attempt  to  flee  from  it  like  a 
coward.  That  advice  seemed  to  strike  the  right  chord, 
it  immediately  vibrated,  and  after  a  few  minutes  he 
answered,  'It  is,  perhaps,  best  promptly  to  meet  the 
danger,  but  I  can  not  do  so,  unless  you  attend  and  con- 
duct the  quarterly  meeting  for  me  at  Browder's  meeting- 
house, near  Bardstown,  on  next  Saturday  and  Sunday. 
That  meeting  must  not  be  neglected.'  We  promised  to 
comply  with  his  request,  and  he  returned  to  his  sister's. 
That  was  the  first  clear  and  unequivocal  evidence  of  par- 
tial insanity  which  we  recollect  of  having  noticed  in 
brother  Poythress — insanity  as  it  respected  three  most 
intimate  friends;  for  the  conspiracy,  and  the  causes  lead- 
ing to  it,  which-  he  supposed  to  exist,  had  no  existence 
except  in  his  own  heated  imagination,  and,  for  the  time 
being,  it  was  found  to  be  impracticable  to  remove  those 
delusive  ideas  from  his  mind. 

"We  were  confident  no  conspiracy  had  been  formed 
against  him,  as  he  imagined,  and  still  we  entertained 
fears  that,  in  the  particular  cases  named,  he  had  yielded 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 

to  the  temptations  of  the  archenemy  of  souls ;  and  that 
a  conviction  of  his  crimes,  and  fear  of  detection  had 
produced  the  effects  we  witnessed.  Having,  however, 
since  that  time,  acquired  some  little  knowledge  of  the 
symptoms  which  often  exhibit  themselves  in  partial 
insanity,  the  fears  we  then  entertained  have  entirely 
vanished.  We  mention  this,  in  order  to  show  how  ex- 
tremely careful  we  ought  to  be,  not  to  suffer  suspicions 
injurious  to  the  character  of  another  to  make  a  lodg- 
ment in  our  minds. 

"Agreeably  to  promise,  we  attended  the  quarterly 
meeting,  and  in  meeting  brother  Poythress  he  exclaimed, 
'Why,  upon  earth,  did  you  suffer  me  to  leave  you?  It 
was  all  delusion.  My  sister  met  me  as  usual.'  Early  in 
the  year  1797  he  was  confined  by  affliction ;  but  whether 
his  mind  was  affected  during  his  affliction  we  are  entirely 
uninformed.  The  last  time  we  saw  him  was  in  the  fore- 
part of  the  winter  of  1800.  The  balance  of  his  mind 
was  lost,  and  his  body  lay  a  complete  wreck.  His  labors 
in  the  Church  militant  were  at  an  end,  but  the  fruits  of 
his  labors  still  remain. 

"  We  are  not  aware  that  any  hereditary  taint  existed, 
which,  in  its  ultimate  range,  dethroned  his  reason;  but 
we  can  readily  imagine  that  the  seeds  of  that  dreadful 
malady  were  sown  in  his  system  by  the  constant  expo- 
sures and  sufferings  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution, 
and  the  twelve  years  he  traveled  and  preached  in  the 
then  almost  wilderness  of  the  west.  Among  the  eight 
pioneers  of  Methodism  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  in 
the  year  1788,  the  name  of  Francis  Poythress  stands  pre- 
eminent. By  those  intrepid  heroes  of  the  cross  the  foun- 
dation of  Methodism  was  laid  in  those  states,  on  which 
others  have  since  built,  and  others  are  now  building. 
Their  names  ought  to  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance 
by  all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity  and 


142  SKETCHES    OF 

truth;  but  among  all,  we  are  inclined  to  the  opinion, 
there  is  not  one  of  them  to  whom  the  members  of  our 
Church,  in  those  states,  owe  a  greater  debt  of  gratitude 
than  to  Francis  Poythress." 

In  some  notes  appended  by  Samuel  Williams,  Esq., 
making  a  few  alterations  in  the  above  narrative  in  regard 
to  some  dates  and  places,  we  have  an  item  or  two  relat- 
ing to  the  close  of  his  life,  which  it  may  be  proper  to 
give.  At  times,  we  learn  from  these  notes,  he  would  con- 
verse rationally  upon  many  subjects,  Avhile  on  other  sub- 
jects he  was  hopelessly  deranged.  He  was  taken  to  his 
sister's,  who  lived  twelve  miles  south  of  Lexington,  Ky., 
where  he  remained  till  he  died.  He  has  gone,  we  trust, 
to  that  world  where,  in  bright,  unclouded  intellect;  he 
now  gazes  upon  the  scenes  of  eternal  life. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  143 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BARNABAS    M'HENEY. 

THE  Rev.  Barnabas  M'Henry  was  among  the  first  apos- 
tles of  Methodism  in  the  western  country.  He  entered 
the  itinerant  connection  in  the  year  1787.  He  was  then 
but  a  youth,  scarcely  having  reached  his  majority.  Con- 
sidering the  dangers  and  hardships  to  which  wandering 
itinerants  were  exposed  at  that  early  day  in  the  west,  the 
leaving  all  the  endearments  of  a  happy  home,  must  be 
considered  as  an  act  of  moral  heroism  of  which  but  few 
would  be  capable  at  the  present  day.  But  as  God  raises 
up  the  men  for  the  times  in  which  they  live,  we  must  not 
be  too  exact  in  running  our  parallels  or  contrasting  the 
past  with  the  present.  If  wo  have  not  the  men  for 
scenes  of  toil,  and  hardship,  and  danger,  it  may  be  a 
comfortable  reflection,  at  least,  to  know  that  they  are  not 
wanted,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  times  do  not  de- 
mand them.  We  believe  there  is  as  much  genuine  zeal 
and  devotion  in  the  Church  now  as  there  ever  was,  even 
in  the  days  of  the  apostles  and  primitive  Christians, 
though  not  as  generally  diffused  among  the  membership. 
If  Methodist  preachers  in  those  days  had,  in  the  language 
of  President  Harrison,  to  live  just  as  though  they  had 
taken  tire  vows  of  poverty  upon  them,  and  had  to  face 
the  dangers  and  difficulties  that  beset  their  path  alone 
and  unattended,  we  should  rejoice  that  though  the  offense 
of  the  cross  has  not  ceased,  yet  the  times  have  been  so 
wonderfully  changed  by  the  mild,  humanizing,  and  ever 
progressive  spirit  of  Christianity,  that  none  are  called  to 


144  SKETCHES    OF 

pass  through  the  same  trials  and  persecutions  for  Christ's 
sake.  In  those  early  days  Methodism  was  a  thing  of 
contempt,  and  a  Methodist  preacher  was  considered  as  a 
special  object  of  ridicule.  Every  conceivable  method 
was  resorted  to  for  the  purpose  of  caricaturing  the  preach- 
ers and  their  doctrines.  Songs  were  written  and  sung, 
while  specimens  of  Methodist  sermons,  perverted  and  dis- 
torted, were  published  broadcast,  to  bring  odium  upon 
the  society.  Grave  preachers  and  pious  deacons  and 
elders  were  found,  who  would  engage  unscrupulously  in 
this  work.  We  knew  ourselves  a  reverend  divine  who,  at 
parties,  would  amuse  his  flock  by  getting  up  a  inimic 
class  meeting,  interspersing  it  with  occasional  ditties  and 
a  shout.  We  do  not  say  this  because  we  wish  to  revive 
unpleasant  memories,  or  to  show  up  the  conduct  of  those 
who  claimed  all  the  religion,  and  learning,  and  decency 
of  the  land;  but  simply  as  a  specimen  of  the  general 
contempt  which  prevailed  in  certain  quarters  for  these 
"rude,  uneducated  circuit  riders."  Sometimes  the  very 
almanacs  would  be  filled  with  songs  and  caricatures  of 
Methodist  preachers;  and  they  were  in  as  great  demand 
as  Davy  Crockett  almanacs  were  a  few  years  ago.  We 
were  taught  to  believe  that  Methodism  was  of  the  devil, 
and  no  better  than  witchcraft.  Here  is  a  specimen  of 
the  sermons  preached  by  Methodist  preachers,  and  be- 
lieved by  many  to  be  genuine.  We  found  it  in  the 
almanac : 

"Breathren,  breathren,  breathren!  The  word  breath- 
ren  comes  from  the  tabernacle,  because  we  dwell  therein. 
If  you  are  drowsy  I  will  arouse  you.  I  will  beat  a  tattoo 
on  the  parchment  cases  of  your  consciences,  and  will 
whip  the  devil  about  like  a  whirligig  among  you." 

It  cost  something  in  those  days  to  be  a  Methodist,  and 
especially  to  be  a  Methodist  preacher.  Young  M' Henry, 
however,  counted  the  cost,  and  joined  the  despised  peo- 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  145 

pic.  In  process  of  time  he  was  licensed  to  preach,  and, 
being  admitted  into  the  traveling  connection,  was  ap- 
pointed to  Yadkin  circuit,  North  Carolina.  In  the  year 
1788  he  was  appointed  to  the  Cumberland  circuit,  on  the 
very  borders  of  the  white  population.  Here  we  find  him, 
in  company  with  a  few  others,  occupying  the  entire  field, 
and  following  the  tides  of  immigration  to  their  most  dis- 
tant homes  for  the  purpose  of  preaching  to  them  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  Traveling,  in  those  days,  was 
ftt tended  with  great  danger  as  well  as  difficulty.  The  In- 
dians, on  seeing  their  hunting  grounds  invaded  by  the 
pale  faces,  were  wrought  up  to  the  greatest  fury,  and 
would,  in  revenge,  mercilessly  attack  their  invaders. 
The  missionary  band  was  obliged  to  take  their  lives  in 
their  hands  and  risk  all  in  the  great  enterprise  in  which 
they  were  engaged.  They  had  no  missionary  society, 
with  its  funds  and  sympathies,  to  support  and  cheer  them 
in  their  toilsome  work;  but  the  best  of  all  was,  God  was 
with  them,  and  hundreds  of  those  wanderers  from  civili- 
zation were  happily  converted  to  God,  while  the  cabin 
and  block-house  were  made  to  resound  with  the  praises 
of  the  Almighty,  and  the  wilderness  and  solitary  places 
often  resounded  with  the  shouts  of  the  converted. 

Speaking  of  this  band  the  eloquent  Bascom  onee  said, 
in  reference  to  a  narrative  of  their  deeds:  "To  give 
the  story  an  intense  and  thrilling  interest,  it  need  only 
be  told  true  to  nature  and  to  the  actual  developments  of 
experience.  There  is  something  so  fresh,  so  racy,  so 
charming  in  calling  up  the  historical  reminiscences  of 
by-gone  days,  that  in  whatever  form  or  garb  I  meet  the 
facts,  it  is  only  to  wonder  and  admire.  How  little  is 
known  of  the  courage  and  heroism  of  the  early  apostles 
of  Methodism  in  the  western  world !  What  a  mere  tithe 
of  information  has  even  the  Church  respecting  her  worthi- 
est sons !  The  modern  methods  of  missionary  toil  throw 

13 


SKETCHES    OF 

very  little  light  upon  this  subject.  More  is  said  now  and 
less  done.  We  report  to  the  full  amount  of  our  achieve- 
ments, and  facts  are  often  anticipated  by  a  detail  of 
hopes.  Not  so  with  these  early  pioneers;  they  labored, 
suffered,  and  triumphed  in  obscurity  and  want.  No  ad- 
miring populace  cheered  them  on.  No  feverish  commu- 
nity gazetted  them  into  fame.  Principle  alone  sustained 
them,  and  their  glory  was  that  of  action.  Many  of  these 
men  had  minds  of  no  common  mold,  and  richly  stored 
with  varied  knowledge.  Even  a  century  in  a  single  com- 
munity produces  few  such  men  as  Barnabas  M'Henry  and 
Valentine  Cook.  They  were  men  by  themselves,  and 
their  memory  would  adorn  the  history  of  any  Church  in 
any  age.  The  same  is  true  of  others;  and  I  am  anxious 
that  the  recollections,  as  far  as  practicable,  concerning 
them,  may  be  saved  from  oblivion.  How  much  worthless 
stuff  is  now  recorded,  while  incidents  of  so  much  interest 
are  looked  upon  as  unworthy  of  record  or  inquiry !  Do 
not  too  many  prefer  the  shallow  and  the  meager,  if  it  be 
modern,  to  the  deep  and  lofty  traits  of  character  belong- 
ing to  an  era  anterior  to  ours?  Is  there  much  hope  that 
really  great  men  will  multiply  among  us,  unless  we  duly 
appreciate  and  study  the  character  and  elements  of  great- 
ness in  those  by  whom  we  have  been  preceded?  If  I 
have  been  of  any  service  to  the  Church,  or  to  the  world, 
much  of  the  result  is  owing  to  the  study  of  character  in 
early  life.  Providentially  thrown  into  the  pulpit  and 
upon  the  field  of  ministerial  action  at  the  age  of  sixteen — 
the  mere  dawn  of  manhood — I  taught  myself  to  learn  the 
formation  of  character,  in  view  both  of  goodness  and 
greatness,  by  observing  closely  the  striking  characteristics 
both  of  the  living  and  the  dead  claiming  these  attributes." 
The  father  of  the  writer  of  this  sketch  once  preached 
a  thanksgiving  sermon,  in  which  he  said,  "We  backwoods 
people  ought  to  thank  God  most  heartily  for  two  things; 


•WEBTEKN   METHODISM. 

namely,  the  Indians  and  the  Methodist  preachers ;  for  in 
the  settlement  of  this  great  country  the  Indiana  kept  the 
white  population  from  scattering  into  clans  and  taking 
possession  of  certain  districts  of  country,  claiming  it,  and 
forming  a  government  of  their  own,  and  finally  going  to 
war  with  each  other,  thus  confining  them  to  the  govern- 
ment of  the  country.  While  the  waves  of  population 
rolled  out  westward  the  Indians  rolled  them  back  again, 
and  kept  them  together.  Then  the  itinerant  Methodist 
preachers,  in  the  true  spirit  of  their  Master,  followed  up 
the  emigrant  from  block-house  to  block-house,  and  from 
station  to  cabin  and  camp,  and  the  voice  of  mercy  and 
salvation  was  heard,  and  the  Sabbath  regarded."  To  this 
work  M' Henry  addressed  himself  with  a  zeal  and  devo- 
tion worthy  of  so  great  a  cause. 

In  the  year  1789  he  was  appointed  to  the  Danville 
circuit,  in  company  with  Peter  Massie  as  a  colleague. 
While  on  this  circuit  he  encountered  much  opposition 
from  the  Baptists,  who  verily  thought  they  were  doing 
God's  service  in  making  the  most  extraordinary  efforts  to 
hedge  up  the  way  of  Methodist  preachers.  The  preach- 
ers of  that  denomination  published,  from  their  pulpits 
and  elsewhere,  the  most  exaggerated  and  ridiculous 
statements  imaginable  about  Methodist  doctrines  and 
usages,  and  every  means  was  resorted  to  to  prevent  the 
people  from  going  out  to  hear  the  preachers ;  but  the  very 
course  they  took  only  excited  their  curiosity  to  hear,  and 
thus  brought  them  into  notice.  Thus  the  foolishness,  if 
not  the  wrath  of  man,  was  made  the  means  by  which 
hundreds  were  brought  to  hear  the  Gospel  of  a  free  sal- 
vation, and  multitudes  embraced  its  provisions  and  were 
saved.  Persecution  always  has  failed,  and  ever  will  fail, 
to  put  down  the  truth.  The  history  of  Paganism  and 
Romanism  is  abundant  proof  of  this.  The  apostle  says, 
"We  can  do  nothing  against  the  truth  but  for  the  truth;" 


SKETCHES    OP 

and  we  have  often  known  systems  of  error  themselves 
dragged  into  notice,  and  made  an  object  of  sympathy, 
solely  on  account  of  a  mad,  misguided  opposition.  The 
best  way  in  the  world  to  put  down  error  is  to  preach  up 
the  truth.  The  fire  that  a  crazy  zealot  would  call  down 
from  heaven  to  consume  the  adversaries  of  his  peculiar 
faith  or  practice,  will  be  as  likely  to  consume  himself  as 
his  opposers. 

So  it  was,  all  the  opposition  these  "  free-grace  preach- 
ers," as  they  were  termed,  met  with,  only  served  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  Gospel ;  and  like  the  persecutions 
against  Paul,  which  carried  the  Gospel  to  Rome,  and 
introduced  it  to  the  palace  of  Cesar  himself,  so  were  the 
persecutions  of  the  early  Methodist  preachers  made  the 
instrument,  in  the  Divine  hand,  of  bringing  the  doctrines 
of  repentance,  and  faith,  and  salvation,  to  many  who 
would  not,  in  all  probability,  have  heard  them  as  dis- 
pensed by  itinerants. 

In  the  year  1790  M'Henry  was  sent  to  the  Madison 
circuit.  This  field  of  labor  was  at  that  time  said  to  be 
the  most  stubborn  and  unpromising,  occupying,  as  it  did, 
the  most  uncivilized  portion  of  Kentucky.  It  seemed  to 
be  a  place  of  grand  rendezvous  for  fugitives  from  justice 
from  the  older  states.  The  whole  district  of  country  was 
missionary  ground,  as  this  was  the  first  time  it  was  found 
upon  the  Minutes.  In  this  field  the  laborious  itinerant 
did  the  work  of  an  evangelist.  Though  men  may  bo 
guilty  of  crimes  which  may  send  them  abroad  from  the 
haunts  of  justice  and  civilized  society,  yet  it  would  be 
difficult  for  them  to  flee  to  any  place  where  the  Meth- 
odist preacher  would  not  find  them,  and  in  their  dark 
retreats  offer  to  them  the  blessings  of  pardon  and  sal- 
vation. They  might  escape  from  the  law  and  the  rigors 
of  justice,  but  the  Gospel,  with  its  offers  of  pardon, 
would  find  them  out,  and  their  sin-burdened  souls  would 


WESTERN     METHODISM.  149 

06  invited  to  partake  of  its  full  and  glorious  provisions. 
Those  upon  whom  others  were  disposed  to  look  as  repro- 
bates, shut  out  from  the  pale  of  God's  mercy,  and  doomed 
by  an  irreversible  decree  to  death  and  hell,  were  regarded 
by  these  heralds  of  the  cross  as  redeemed  by  the  Son  of 
God ;  and  though  their  crimes  were  of  the  deepest  dye, 
even  unto  "scarlet  and  crimson,"  yet  the  blood  of  Jesus 
could  wash  them  white  as  mountain  snow.  It  was,  doubt- 
less, on  account  of  this  indiscriminate  offer  of  salvation 
that  their  preaching  was  so  obnoxious  to  the  reigning 
orthodoxy  of  that  day.  Many  a  dark,  unrighteous  heart 
was  changed  through  the  instrumentality  of  such  preach- 
ing, from  nature  and  sin  to  grace  and  holiness,  and  law- 
less men  were  made  obedient  subjects  of  government 
and  respectable  members  of  society,  who  otherwise  might 
have  continued  the  enemies  of  God  and  man.  As  the 
result  of  his  labors  this  year,  there  were  left  on  the  cir- 
cuit at  its  close  two  hundred  and  twelve  white  members 
and  eight  colored. 

The  following  year  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Cumberland  circuit.  Here  he  labored 
with  great  success  and  usefulness.  The  population  was 
quite  sparse,  and  the  rides  long  and  fatiguing.  Not- 
withstanding all  this,  however,  he  girded  himself  for  the 
work,  and  labored  on  in  faith  and  hope.  The  Methodist 
preacher  then  had  but  one  work,  and  he  devoted  himself 
exclusively  to  that.  Being  fully  impressed  with  his  call 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  he  could  not  turn  aside  to  engage 
in  land  and  stock  speculations,  or  enter  into  the  noisy, 
wrangling  field  of  politics,  nor  even  sit  down  to  the  more 
honorable  and  useful  employment  of  teaching  school  or 
taking  a  professorship  or  presidency  in  a  college,  or 
an  editorship  or  agency,  however  important;  the  Holy 
Ghost  had  moved  him  to  call  sinners  to  repentance,  and 
the  great  work  of  saving  souls  was  all  in  all  to  him.  Nor 
13* 


150  SKETCHES    OF 

had  he  any  time  for  writing  books,  and  precious  little  for 
reading  any  but  his  Bible  and  Discipline.  Being  shut 
up  to  these  to  a  great  extent,  as  John  Bunyan,  in  Bedford 
jail,  was  confined  to  an  old  Bible  and  a  Concordance,  like 
that  man  of  God,  he  could  map  out  the  path  of  life,  and 
picture  the  glories  of  heaven  and  the  glooms  of  hell  with 
a  vividness  and  a  power  that  made  all  hearts  feel  their 
reality.  The  preachers  of  those  days  did  not  suifer 
themselves  to  be  carried  away  into  the  endless  mazes  of 
metaphysical  speculation,  or  to  be  lost  in  the  fogs  of  an 
occult  philosophy;  but  bathing  their  vision  in  the  eter- 
nal sunshine  of  God's  truth,  they  came  down,  like  Moses 
from  the  burning  mountain,  full  of  love  and  radiant  with 
glory. 

In  the  year  1792  M'Henry  was  appointed  presiding 
elder  of  the  Holston  district,  including  Green  River, 
New  River,  and  Russell  circuits,  embracing  an  extent 
of  country  that  would  now  cover  a  half  dozen  confer- 
ences. Here  he  was  exposed  to  the  savages  and  all  the 
difficulties  of  traveling,  without  roads,  bridges,  or  fer- 
ries to  cross  the  streams ;  yet  he  would,  with  the  most 
indomitable  zeal,  urge  his  way  through  the  tangled 
thicket  and  dense  forest,  and  across  the  rapid  rivers  and 
over  the  craggy  mountains,  preaching  Christ  and  him 
crucified  to  the  dwellers  in  the  log-cabins  of  the  most 
desolate  regions.  Burning  with  a  love  to  save  souls  for 
whom  his  Master  died,  he  was  borne  onward  in  his  glo- 
rious career,  and  many  precious  seals  to  his  ministry  will 
hail  him  on  the  shores  of  immortality  as  the  instrument 
of  their  conversion  to  God.  The  succeeding  year  he  was 
appointed  to  the  charge  of  a  yet  larger  district,  including 
Bedford,  Bottetourt,  G-reenbrier,  and  Cowpasture  circuits. 
It  is  almost  incredible,  at  this  day,  for  one  to  be  told  the 
labors  and  hardships  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Methodism. 
We  fear  that  the  zeal  of  the  preachers  of  the  present 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  151 

day  would  be  severely  tested,  if  they  were  required  to 
cultivate  similar  fields ;  and  yet  such  is  our  faith  in  the 
power  of  Methodism,  under  God,  that  we  believe  if  the 
field  were  here  there  are  men  of  God  who  would  say  to 
the  bishop,  "  Here  am  I,  send  me."  They  labored,  and 
we  have  entered  into  their  labors.  God  be  praised  that 
the  Church  had  such  men  for  such  times !  The  two  suc- 
ceeding years  find  him  on  Salt  Creek  circuit,  the  latter 
of  which  he  was  the  third  man,  giving  a  strong  indica- 
tion that,  through  his  excessive  toils  and  hardships,  his 
vigorous  constitution  had  been  impaired,  and  he  was, 
from  overtaxed  exertions,  declining  in  strength.  Such 
was  the  fact;  for  in  the  following  year  he  was  obliged  to 
cease  from  his  labors  as  an  itinerant,  and  take  a  local 
relation.  During  the  years  in  which  he  continued  in 
this  relation  his  zeal  for  the  cause  of  Christ  did  not  in 
the  least  abate,  as  he  continued  to  preach  whenever  op- 
portunity would  present  itself,  and  his  health  would  per- 
mit. In  the  great  revival  of  1800  he  took  an  active  part, 
and  was  very  efficient  in  leading  on  the  sacramental  hosts 
of  God's  elect  to  glorious  war. 

In  1819  he  re-entered  the  traveling  connection,  and 
again  took  rank  with  his  brethren  in  the  itinerant  field. 
He  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the  Salt  River  dis- 
trict, Tennessee  conference,  where  he  labored  with  great 
success  through  the  year,  and  at  its  close  was  reappointcd. 
His  constitution,  however,  was  too  much  broken  down  to 
enable  him  to  continue  long  in  his  much-loved  employ  as 
an  itinerant.  Like  an  old  soldier,  he  only  felt  at  home 
on  the  field ;  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  reluctance  that 
he  was  obliged,  at  the  close  of  the  year,  to  lay  down  his 
charge,  and  retire  from  the  itinerant  ranks;  yet  he  did 
not  cease  to  preach.  With  trembling  frame  and  falter- 
ing tongue  he  would,  like  the  beloved  John,  gather 
around  him  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  and  exhort  them  as 


152  SKETCHES   OF 

dear  children  to  love  one  another.  But  the  day  of  his 
departure  at  length  came.  That  dreadful  scourge,  the 
cholera,  which  spread  lamentation  and  mourning  through- 
out the  length  and  breadth  of  our  land,  visited  the  region 
where  he  lived,  and  was  made  God's  messenger  to  open 
to  him  the  gates  of  life.  On  the  16th  of  June,  1833, 
after  this  man  of  God  had  preached  the  Gospel  for  half 
a  century,  he  was  called  from  labor  to  reward.  The  full 
salvation  which  he  preached  to  others,  and  so  richly 
enjoyed  in  his  own  soul,  sustained  him  in  the  dying  hour, 
and  fitted  by  grace  he  was  admitted  to  heaven.  He  spent 
a  laborious  but  happy  life,  and  died  a  blessed  death.  He 
fought  his  last  battle,  and  finished  his  course. 

"Life's  labor  done,  as  sinks  the  clay, 
Light  from  its  load  the  spirit  flies, 
While  heaven  and  earth  conspire  to  say, 
How  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies!" 

Brother  M'Henry  possessed  a  high  order  of  intellect, 
and  for  the  opportunities  enjoyed  in  those  days  he  had 
acquired  a  good  share  of  learning.  As  a  pioneer  Meth- 
odist preacher,  he  thoroughly  understood  the  doctrines 
of  the  Church,  and  took  great  pleasure  in  their  exposition 
to  all  with  whom  he  was  brought  in  contact.  He  also 
loved  the  spiritual  and  temporal  economy  of  the  Church, 
and  labored  for  their  defense.  To  our  young  brethren  in 
the  ministry,  who  may  read  this  rapid  and  imperfect 
sketch,  suffer  us  to  exhort  you  to  study  the  character, 
and  endeavor  to  imitate  the  virtues,  and  zeal,  and  self- 
sacrificing  devotion  of  this  faithful  itinerant.  You  have 
entered  into  his  labors.  For  God's  sake,  suffer  not  the 
work  so  well  begun,  and  successfully  carried  on  by  the 
pioneers  of  Methodism,  to  die  in  your  hands.  To  carry  on 
this  glorious  work  no  self-indulgence  can  be  tolerated  for 
a  moment.  Let  a  zeal  for  God  and  a  love  for  souls  burn 
in  your  heart  and  urge  you  onward.  Courage,  and  zeal, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  153 

and  perseverance  are  as  much  demanded  now,  and  per- 
haps more  BO,  than  at  any  former  period  in  the  Church's 
history.  Study,  therefore,  to  show  yourselves  approved 
of  God,  workmen  that  need  not  to  be  ashamed;  then  you 
will  truly  share  in  their  labors  on  earth  and  their  rewards 
in  heaven. 


154  SKETCHES   OF 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THOMAS     SCOTT. 

THE  sketches  of  Western  Methodism  would  be  incom- 
plete, at  least  so  far  as  pioneer  preachers  are  concerned, 
without  a  biography  of  Judge  Scott,  who  is  the  oldest 
living  preacher  now  in  the  west,  being  one  or  two  years 
the  senior  of  the  venerable  Burke  in  the  itinerant  ranks. 
This  aged  minister  is  now  engaged  in  writing  a  history 
of  his  life  and  times  in  the  Western  Christian  Advocate, 
which  will  serve  as  a  valuable  monument  of  the  past,  and 
be  read  with  interest  by  present  and  future  generations. 
We  are  happy  in  being  able  to  furnish  our  readers  with 
an  interesting  sketch,  drawn  up  by  Samuel  Williams, 
Esq.,  of  Mount  Auburn,  an  old  and  intimate  friend  of  the 
Judge.  In  the  sketch  the  young  reader  will  see  vividly 
portrayed  the  trials  and  struggles  which  young  men  had 
to  encounter  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  west;  and 
young  men  of  the  present  day  may  draw  from  these 
scenes  of  trial  and  discouragement  incident  to  border 
life,  courage  and  hope  from  the  example  furnished,  that 
"  labor  et  persevcranfia  omnia  vincet."  But  to  the  sketch. 

"Thomas  Scott,  familiarly  called  Judge  Scott,  from  hav- 
ing been  several  years  a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Ohio,  has  been  a  resident  of  Chillicothe  more  than  fifty- 
one  years,  where  he  still  resides,  enjoying  a  green  old  age, 
having  just  completed  the  eightieth  year  of  his  earthly 
pilgrimage.  He  was  born  at  Skypton,  near  the  junction  of 
the  north  and  south  branches  of  the  Potomac  river,  Alle- 
ghany  county,  Maryland,  October  31,  1772.  His  father's 
parents  were  Scotch-Irish,  and  emigrated  from  Ireland 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  156 

and  settled  in  Berks  county,  Pennsylvania,  shortly  after 
th«  battle  of  the  Boyne,  in  1690.  They  were  Protest- 
ants, and  had  sustained  heavy  losses  by  the  Catholics 
previous  to  that  battle. 

"Before  the  age  of  fourteen  years  Mr.  Scott  embraced 
religion,  and  became  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  when  there  were  only  a  little  over  twenty 
thousand  members  in  its  communion,  and  about  one  hun- 
dred and  seventeen  preachers.  He  has,  therefore,  been  a 
member  of  the  Church  more  than  sixty-six  years.  At 
the  conference  at  Leesburg,  Virginia,  in  April,  1789, 
when  only  tixtcen  and  a  half  years  old,  he  was  admitted 
on  trial  in  the  traveling  connection,  and  appointed  to 
Gloucester  circuit,  Virginia,  together  with  those  distin- 
guished ministers,  Lewis  Chasteen  and  Valentine  Cook. 
The  following  year  he  was  appointed  to  Berkely  circuit, 
with  Lewis  Chasteen  preacher  in  charge.  Soon  after 
they  commenced  their  labors,  Mr.  Chasteen  was  seized 
with  the  small-pox,  which  injured  one  of  his  eyes  so 
much  that  he  could  labor  but  little  till  near  the  close  of 
the  year.  This  devolved  nearly  the  entire  labor,  as  well 
as  the  administration  of  discipline,  upon  the  youthful 
Scott,  yet  only  eighteen  years  old.  At  the  conference  in 
May,  1791,  he  was  received  into  full  connection,  and  or- 
dained deacon  by  Bishop  Asbury,  who  appointed  him  in 
charge  of  Stafford  circuit,  Virginia,  with  Samuel  Hitt, 
late  of  Champaign  county,  Ohio,  as  his  helper.  In  1792 
he  was  appointed  to  Frederic  circuit,  Virginia,  with 
Thomas  Lyell  as  his  helper. 

'•  Mr.  Lyell,  although  young,  and  only  in  the  second 
year  of  his  ministry,  had  already  acquired  great  fame  as 
a  very  eloquent  and  popular  preacher.  This,  together 
with  his  amiable  disposition,  his  polished  manners,  his 
fascinating  conversation,  and  his  fine  personal  figure,  con- 
spired to  make  him  a  great  favorite,  both  with  the  preach- 


156  SKETCHES    OF 

ers  and  people.  For  many  successive  years  lie  was 
stationed  in  the  most  populous  cities,  and  caressed,  and, 
perhaps,  flattered  wherever  he  went.  In  180-i  he  located, 
and  afterward  took  orders  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  and  was  settled  in  the  city  of  New  York  as  rec- 
tor of  a  populous  and  wealthy  parish,  which  he  served 
with  great  acceptance  till  his  death,  at  an  advanced  age, 
a  few  years  since.  It  is  said  that  he  preserved,  to  the 
last,  a  friendly  attachment  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  her  ministry.  But  to  return  from  this  di- 
gression. 

"At  the  conference  held  at  the  place  of  Mr.  Scott's 
nativity,  in  June,  1793,  he  was  ordained  elder  by  Bishop 
Asbury,  and  appointed  to  the  Ohio  circuit,  in  charge, 
with  the  Rev.  Kobert  Bonham  as  his  helper.  This  cir- 
cuit was  of  great  extent,  and  much  of  which  lay  along 
the  frontier  settlements  on  the  Ohio  river,  in  Western 
Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  and  exposed  to  the  attacks  of 
the  Indians. 

"In  the  spring  of  1794,  in  pursuance  of  instructions 
from  Bishop  Asbury,  Mr.  Scott  descended  the  Ohio  river 
to  join  the  Kentucky  conference,  which  convened  on  the 
15th  of  April.  Embarking  at  Wheeling,  on  a  flat-bot- 
tomed boat,  ladened  with  provisions  for  General  Wayne's 
army,  he  descended  the  Ohio  river  to  Brook's  landing, 
above  the  mouth  of  Limestone  creek,  where  Maysville  now 
stands.  The  settlements  along  the  Ohio  river,  at  that  pe- 
riod, were  few  and  far  between,  and  the  intervening  wil- 
derness was  occupied  by  hostile  tribes  of  Indians,  to 
whose  attacks  descending  boats  were  continually  exposed. 
Floating  with  the  current,  the  voyage  was  necessarily 
tedious,  and  the  boat  often  passing  along  very  near  to  the 
shore,  those  on  board  were  in  great  danger  from  the 
unerring  rifle  of  the  Indian.  But  Mr.  Scott,  unconscious 
of  his  danger,  was  accustomed  daily  to  sit,  for  hours 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  157 

together,  on  the  top  of  the  boat,  reading,  even  while  the 
boat  was  floating  along  close  to  the  shore  covered  with 
bushes,  from  which  the  savage  tomahawk  of  the  practiced 
Indian  might  have  been  hurled  to  his  destruction.  He 
has  oftentimes  since  reflected  with  surprise  upon  his  own 
imprudence,  and  ascribed  his  preservation  to  a  merciful 
and  overruling  Providence.  Having  sent  his  horse  on  to 
Kentucky  a  few  days  ahead,  Mr.  Scott,  on  landing  there 
himself,  immediately  proceeded  to  the  home  of  his  par- 
ents, on  the  head  waters  of  Bracken  creek,  Mason  county, 
with  whom  he  spent  a  few  days,  and  then  repaired  to  the 
scat  of  the  Kentucky  conference,  near  Bethel  Academy, 
Jessamine  county,  where  he  received  an  appointment  to 
Danville  circuit,  on  which  he  continued  to  labor  during 
the  conference  year.  At  the  conference  in  May,  1795, 
he  located  for  the  purpose  of  attending  to  important  tem- 
poral business  in  Pennsylvania.  But  sickness  and  othei 
circumstances  prevented  his  going  to  Pennsylvania.  To 
accustom  himself  to  hard  labor,  he  turned  in  to  cut  down 
and  strip  the  bark  from  large  trees  for  his  brother  James, 
who  was  a  tanner.  When  the  season  for  this  work  was 
over,  he  went  to  school  about  a  month  to  acquire  a  better 
knowledge  of  arithmetic.  Every  Thursday  afternoon  he 
walked  three  miles  to  meet  a  class,  of  which  he  was 
leader,  and  had  his  appointments  to  preach  on  Sabbath, 
one  of  which  places  was  in  Maysville,  and  it  is  probable 
he  was  the  first  Methodist  minister  who  ever  preached 
the  Gospel  in  that  town.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  sum- 
mer, at  the  request  of  the  Rev.  F.  Poythress,  the  presid- 
ing elder,  Mr.  Scott  took  charge  of  the  Lexington  cir- 
cuit, in  place  of  the  Rev.  Aquilla  Sugg,  whose  health 
had  failed,  and  he  continued  on  that  circuit  till  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Kentucky  conference  in  the  spring  of  1796, 
from  which  time  his  labors  as  an  itinerant  minister  in 
the  Church  ceased. 

14 


158  SKETCHES   OF 

"On  the  10th  of  May,  1796,  Mr.  Scott  married  Miss 
Catharine  Wood,  a  pious  young  lady,  whose  parents  had 
long  been  Methodists,  and  soon  after  settled  in  Washing- 
ton, Mason  county,  Ky.,  where  he  obtained  employment 
as  a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store.  In  a  few  months  the 
merchant  failed  in  business,  and  Mr.  Scott  thereby  lost 
nearly  half  his  earnings.  After  this  he  devoted  a  small 
portion  of  his  time  to  reading  the  elementary  principles 
of  law,  and  copying  and  memorizing  the  forms  of  entries 
in  civil  and  criminal  proceedings  in  the  courts.  This  he 
did  in  expectation  of  being  appointed  clerk  of  the  courts 
in  a  new  county  about  to  be  set  off  from  Mason;  but 
which  office,  although  his  superior  fitness  for  it  was  ad- 
mitted by  all,  was,  through  the  treachery  of  pretended 
friends,  given  to  another.  He  now  determined  upon  the 
study  of  law,  with  the  view  of  practicing  at  the  bar,  and, 
therefore,  declined  several  very  favorable  offers  of  eastern 
merchants  to  engage  in  the  mercantile  business.  But  in 
what  way  he  was  to  support  himself  and  family,  while  pur- 
suing his  legal  studies,  was  now  the  question.  Various 
plans  were  considered;  and  as  ' necessity  is  the  mother 
of  invention/  he  finally  resolved  upon  opening  a  tailor's- 
shop  in  Washington,  so  soon  as  he  could  gain  sufficient 
practical  knowledge  of  the  business  to  follow  it.  His 
father  was  a  tailor,  and  when  a  boy  he  had  often  assisted 
him  on  long  winter  nights,  and  wet  or  stormy  days,  and 
was  expert  in  the  use  of  the  needle,  but  was  ignorant  of 
the  art  of  cutting,  and  of  joining  the  parts  of  garments 
together.  To  acquire  this  knowledge,  he  worked  awhile 
as  a  journeyman  in  an  extensive  shop  in  Washington. 
But  the  proprietor,  aware  of  Mr.  Scott's  intention  to  com- 
mence business  himself,  never  allowed  him  to  be  present 
when  he  took  the  measure  for  garments  or  cut  them. 
He  was  obliged,  therefore,  to  get  the  requisite  knowledge 
from  a  tailor  in  the  country. 


WKSTEKN    METHODISM.  159 

"  He  bad  never  yet  had  any  practice  in  measuring,  or 
cutting,  or  fitting  garments,  and  might  well  have  been 
deterred,  by  his  fears,  from  attempting  to  open  shop  and 
commence.  But  relying  upon  his  own  native  genius,  and 
his  patient,  untiring  perseverance  in  whatever  he  under- 
took, he  did  open  a  shop  and  commence  business.  Ho 
spoiled  the  first  coat  he  attempted  to  cut.  But,  nothing 
daunted,  he  tried  again  and  succeeded.  His  neighbors 
kindly  encouraged  him,  and  work  soon  came  in  so  fast 
that  he  had  to  employ  journeymen.  The  late  Mr.  John 
Watson,  well  known  in  Chillicothe  and  elsewhere  as  an 
able  hotel-keeper,  worked  some  time  for  Mr.  Scott  as  » 
journeyman. 

"Anxious  to  proceed  in  his  legal  studies,  and  yet  hav- 
ing no  time  that  he  could  devote  to  it,  he  adopted  an  ex- 
pedient which  none  but  an  indomitable  spirit,  like  his, 
would  have  thought  of  resorting  to.  Mrs.  Scott  was  an 
excellent  reader,  and  as  she  had  a  hired  woman  to  do  the 
domestic  work,  she  devoted  her  leisure  time  to  reading  to 
Mr.  Scott,  while  at  work  on  his  shop-board,  Blackstone's 
Commentaries,  and  other  law  books;  and  as  she  read,  he 
treasured  up  in  memory,  and  reflected  on  the  content.* 
read.  The  reading  was  often  succeeded  by  singing,  as 
they  were  both  good  singers;  and  while  both  were  busily 
engaged  in  plying  the  needle,  they  would  beguile  the 
time  by  singing  some  of  the  sweet  songs  of  Zioii,  and 
thus  they  cheerily  passed  the  day. 

"In  the  fall  of  1798  Mr.  Scott  removed,  with  his  fam- 
ily, to  Lexington,  where  he  commenced  a  regular  course 
of  law-reading  under  the  late  honorable  James  Brown, 
deceased.  In  the  winter  of  1800,  before  he  had  com- 
pleted the  extensive  course  of  legal  studies  which  he  hau 
anxiously  desired,  he  was  obliged,  from  pecuniary  ueceb- 
sity,  to  desist;  and  having  obtained  license  to  practice 
law,  he  removed  to  and  settled  in  i'lemingsburg,  Fleming 


160  SKETCHES    OF 

county,  where  he  was  appointed  prosecuting-attorney. 
Here,  and  in  the  counties  of  Mason  and  Bracken,  he  ob- 
tained some  little  practice,  but  did  not  succeed  well  in 
either  of  those  counties.  Although  well  versed  in  the 
principles  of  law,  he  had  never  yet  read  any  book  which 
treated  of  practice  either  in  courts  of  law  or  equity. 
While  at  Flemingsburg  he  commenced  a  course  of  math- 
ematical studies. 

"In  March,  1801,  he  visited  Chillicothe,  by  advice  of 
the  late  General  Nathaniel  Massie  and  other  friends,  and 
upon  consultation  with  his  old  friend,  Dr.  Edward  Tiffin — 
whom  he  had  known  and  taken  into  the  Church  eleven 
years  prior  to  that  time,  in  Virginia — he  concluded  to 
remove  to  and  settle  in  that  town,  which  he  did  the  fol- 
lowing month,  and  has  continued  to  reside  there  to  the 
present  time — a  period  of  over  fifty-one  years.  Before 
leaving  Kentucky  he  went  to  Cincinnati  and  was  exam- 
ined before  the  General  Court  of  the  North-Western  Ter- 
ritory— Judge  Burnett,  Mr.  M'Millen,  and  Attorney-Gen- 
eral St.  Clair  examiners — and  admitted  to  the  degree  of 
counselor  at  law.  During  the  summer  of  1801  he  wrote 
in  the  clerk's  office  for  Doctor  Tiffin,  and  engaged  in  such 
other  business  as  he  could  to  obtain  a  scanty  subsistence, 
as  he  could  not  practice  as  counselor  at  law  till  he  had 
resided  two  years  in  the  territory.  The  succeeding  win- 
ter he  was  employed  as  engrossing  and  enrolling  clerk 
during  the  session  of  the  Territorial  Legislature.  On 
the  assembling  of  the  convention  for  forming  a  constitu- 
tion for  the  state,  Mr.  Scott  was  elected  Secretary  to  that 
body.  Dr.  Tiffin  being  a  candidate  for  governor,  under 
the  new  constitution,  he  resigned  the  clerkship  of  the 
several  courts  which  he  then  held,  and  Mr.  Scott  was  ap- 
pointed in  his  place  by  the  acting  governor.  At  the  first 
township  election  in  Chillicothe,  under  the  constitution, 
he  was  elected  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  was  the  first 


WtSTEKN     METHODISM.  161 

one  commissioned  under  the  state  government.  At  tho 
session  of  the  first  General  Assembly,  under  the  constitu- 
tion, Mr.  Scott  was  elected  Secretary  of  the  senate,  to 
which  office  he  was  annually  appointed  till  1800,  in  Feb- 
ruary of  which  year  he  was  eteeted,  by  the  Legislature, 
ouo  of  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  the  year 
following  was  re-elected  and  commissioned  chief  judge 
of  that  Court.  This  office  he  held  till  July,  1816,  when, 
finding  the  salary  insufficient  for  the  support  of  himself 
and  family,  he  resigned  his  seat  ou  the  bench  and  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  law. 

"In  October,  1815,  Judge  Scott  was  elected  one  of  the 
representatives  of  Ross  county,  in  the  Legislature,  and 
in  1822,  he  and  the  late  Judge  Francis  Dunlevy  and 
Thomas  Ewing,  Esq.,  were  commissioned  by  Governor 
Morrow,  under  a  law  of  the  state,  as  a  board  of  revision, 
to  revise  the  general  laws  of  tho  state,  and  to  report  the 
same  to  the  General  Assembly  at  its  ensuing  session. 
The  Board  had  not  quite  completed  their  work  when  the 
Legislature  met;  and  one  of  the  first  things  done  by  that 
body  was  to  dissolve  the  Board,  so  that  no  report  was 
made.  In  March,  1829,  he  was  appointed,  by  the  Presi- 
dent and  senate,  Register  of  the  Land-Office  at  Chilli- 
cothe,  which  office  he  held,  by  successive  appointments, 
till  March,  1845,  when  he  was  removed  by  President 
Polk. 

"The  foregoing  sketch  of  our  old  friend  and  neighbor 
is  condensed  from  a  more  extended  one  recently  drawn 
up  by  himself,  and  kindly  furnished  to  us.  We  have  de- 
voted more  space  to  it  than  we  can  well  spare,  and  yet 
have  been  obliged  to  omit  many  incidents  and  facts  which 
would  have  lent  additional  interest  to  the  narrative. 
Many  of  his  friends  have,  with  us,  regretted  that  the 
Judge  ever  exchanged  his  high  and  holy  calling  of  an 
embassador  of  Christ  for  the  bar,  or  the  bench,  or  polit- 

14 


162  SKETCHES    OF 

ical  life,  with  its  turmoil  and  strife.  'Tis  true,  he  pos- 
sessed superior  qualifications  for  the  bar,  and  the  bench, 
and  the  various  other  offices  he  has  held.  But  his  fitness 
for  the  ministry  was  of  a  still  higher  order.  And  had  he 
remained  at  his  post  therein,  he  would,  doubtless,  long 
since  have  ranked  with  the  most  talented  and  distin- 
guished ministers  in  the  Church;  nay,  might  possibly 
now  be  filling  the  dignified  office  of  its  senior  superin- 
tendent. It  is  but  justice,  however,  to  add,  that  he  con- 
sidered himself  forced,  by  'dire  necessity/  to  take  the 
course  he  did.  'For/  said  he,  'had  the  Church  at  that 
period  been  able  to  support  myself  and  family,  I  would 
have  spent  my  whole  life  in  the  ministry.  But  the 
Church  was  then  too  poor  to  do  it.'  It  is  much  to  be 
lamented  that  many  others  of  the  ablest  and  most  useful 
ministers  in  the  Church,  in  former  times,  were,  from  the 
same  cause,  compelled  to  retire  from  the  work." 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  163 


CHAPTER  IX. 

JOHN     KOBLER. 

IF  we  were  to  hear  of  a  minister  of  Jesus  who  had 
preached  the  first  sermon  in  what  is  now  the  state  of 
Ohio,  and  spread  the  first  table  of  the  Lord  that  was 
ever  spread  in  this  wilderness,  would  it  not  awaken  a 
thrilling  emotion  in  our  hearts  and  create  a  romantic 
interest  to  hear  something  of  his  wonderful  history? 
What  adventure  could  be  connected  with  more  stirring 
incident  than  the  adventures  of  such  a  man  in  braving 
the  perils  of  the  wilderness,  and  preaching  the  Gospel, 
and  administering  its  ordinances  in  these  wilds  more  than 
fifty  years  ago  ?  We  have  his  history,  gentle  reader,  and 
the  incidents  connected  with  his  heroic  Christian  life. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Culpepper 
county,  Virginia,  on  the  29th  of  August,  in  the  year 
1768.  He  was  blessed  with  pious  parents,  and  particu- 
larly a  pious  mother — one  of  the  greatest  blessings  to 
mortals;  for  to  the  mother  more  than  to  any  other,  and, 
in  fact,  all  other  influences  combined,  apart  from  the 
grace  of  God,  is  the  child  indebted  for  its  character.  A 
mother's  smile,  and  gentle  word,  and  kind  hand  do 
more  to  mold  the  character  and  fix  the  destiny  of  the 
child  than  all  other  agencies  combined.  "Give  me," 
said  Madame  de  Stael,  "the  first  seven  years  of  a  child's 
life,  and  I  care  not  who  afterward  shall  have  its  training." 
This,  as  a  general  principle,  will  hold  good,  as  the  period 
alluded  to  constitutes,  to  a  great  extent,  the  forming 
stage  of  human  character.  During  that  time  it  receives 


SKETCHES    OF 

its  bent  and  direction  for  time  and  eternity.  Having  a 
mother  whose  mind  and  heart  were  thoroughly  imbued 
with  the  principles  and  graces  of  religion,  young  Kobler 
was  early  trained  in  the  path  of  virtue,  and  fortiiicd 
against  the  assaults  of  vice  and  sin.  The  example  and 
teachings  of  that  godly  mother  were  accompanied  by 
ardent  prayer  and  the  impressive  and  awakening  influ- 
ence of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Thus,  at  a  very  early  period  in 
his  life,  he  was  led  to  feel  the  importance  of  religion. 
Drawn  by  the  Spirit,  and  yielding  up  his  young  heart  to 
its  genial  influences,  he  was  led  away  from  the  noisy 
sports  of  life  to  the  place  of  retirement,  where  he  would 
read  his  Bible  and  pour  out  his  young  affections  to  the 
great  Father  in  heaven.  Under  the  influence  of  such 
agencies,  human  and  divine,  as  were  at  work  on  his  heart, 
he  was  soon  led  into  the  possession  of  that  regenerating 
grace  which  filled  his  heart  with  the  joys  of  salvation. 

In  the  nineteenth  year  of  his  age  we  find  him  a  pro- 
fessor of  religion,  and  happy  in  the  love  of  God.  This 
profession  he  maintained  by  a  consistency  of  conduct 
which  would  do  honor  to  a  mature  Christian.  He  was, 
however,  evidently  designed  for  a  higher  service  than 
that  of  exemplifying  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  in  the  private 
walks  of  life;  and  it  could  be  seen  by  his  peculiar  fer- 
vency and  the  train  of  his  thoughts,  that  the  Spirit  was 
calling  him  to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  Moved  by  that 
Spirit  in  a  way  he  could  not  mistake  for  the  motions  of 
his  own  heart,  he  obeyed  the  Divine  call,  and  in  the 
twenty-first  year  of  his  age  he  gave  up  home,  and  friends, 
and  earthly  comforts  and  prospects,  and  entered  the 
rough  and  rugged  field  of  itinerant  life.  Shortly  after 
his  entrance  upon  the  work  of  an  itinerant,  there  being 
a  loud  call  for  preachers  in  the  far  west,  he  enlisted  as  a 
volunteer  and  went  out  as  a  pioneer  to  the  North-West- 
eru  territory.  Here,  in  these  wilds,  he  encountered  toils, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  165 

privations,  and  hardships  incident  to  the  life  of  a  pioneer 
preacher.  He  lived  and  labored  in  this  region  amid 
scenes  of  danger,  and  was  personally  acquainted  with 
many  an  adventure,  and  could  relate  sufferings  which  had 
been  endured  by  the  early  settlers  which  would  seem 
almost  incredible  at  this  day.  In  Powell's  Valley  he  be- 
came acquainted  with  a  lady  who  had  been  captured  by 
the  Indians,  and  who  related  to  him  her  sufferings,  an 
account  of  which  he  gave  to  Bishop  Asbury  when  on  a 
visit  to  his  circuit.  The  maiden  name  of  the  lady  was 
Dickenson.  She  had  married  a  gentleman  by  the  name 
of  Scott,  and  was  living  in  the  valley.  On  a  certain 
evening,  her  husband  and  children  being  in  bed,  eight  or 
nine  Indians  rushed  into  the  house  full  of  threatening 
and  slaughter.  Startled  by  their  terrific  yells,  Mr.  Scott 
sprang  from  the  bed  and  instantly  every  gun  they  had 
was  fired  at  him.  Although  badly  wounded  he  broke 
through  them  all,  and  ran  out  of  the  house  into  the 
woods.  Several  of  them  immediately  started  in  pursuit, 
and  soon  overtaking  him,  being  faint  from  loss  of  blood, 
they  butchered  him  and  took  off  his  scalp.  The  mother 
gathered  her  helpless  children  in  her  arms,  and,  convulsed 
with  fear,  awaited  the  result.  Soon  they  returned,  and, 
wresting  her  children  from  her  grasp*  they  cruelly  mur- 
dered them  before  her  eyes.  They  then  plundered  the 
house  and  took  her  prisoner.  From  the  cabin  they  went 
out  into  the  depths  of  the  forest,  and,  kindling  a  fire, 
they  spent  the  night  in  drinking,  shouting,  and  dancing. 
The  next  day  they  divided  the  plunder  among  themselves 
as  equally  as  possible.  Among  the  number  of  articles 
taken  was  one  of  Mr.  Wesley's  hymn-books.  For  this 
they  had  no  use,  and,  no  one  seeming  to  care  for  it,  the 
distracted  woman,  by  signs,  desired  that  it  might  be  given 
to  her.  To  this  they  assented,  and  taking  the  book,  from 
whose  appropriate  hymns  she  had  often  derived  courage 


166  SKETCHES    OF 

and  comfort,  she  opened  its  pages  and  began  to  read 
When  the  Indians  saw  this  they  were  greatly  displeased, 
and  snatching  it  from  her,  they  gave  her  to  understand 
that  they  believed  her  a  conjurer.  After  this  they 
started  in  the  direction  of  the  Indian  towns,  and  traveled 
several  days  through  the  wilderness.  The  grief  and  sor- 
row of  this  afflicted  woman  were  so  great  that  she  could 
scarcely  realize  the  horrid  scenes  through  which  she  had 
passed,  and  thought  she  was  dreaming.  To  aggravate 
that  grief,  if  possible,  these  fiends  took  the  scalps  of  her 
husband  and  children  and  hung  them  around  her  neck. 
Thus  she  walked  along  through  tangled  thickets  and  over 
rugged  mountains,  almost  fainting  from  fatigue,  and  worn 
down  with  anguish.  When  they  saw  her  panting  for 
breath,  and  almost  ready  to  sink  from  exhaustion  in  her 
weary  marches,  they  would  laugh  at  her  calamity  and 
mock  her  feebleness.  Every  spark  of  humanity,  how- 
ever, was  not  extinct  in  this  savage  baud.  There  was 
one  Indian  who,  in  the  hour  of  her  extremity,  procured 
for  her  some  water  to  quench  her  burning  thirst,  and 
when  she  was  ready  to  sink  made  the  remainder  stop  for 
her  to  rest.  For  eleven  days  they  traveled  on,  and  when 
almost  famished  with  hunger  they  called  a  halt,  and  com- 
mitting her  to  the  care  of  an  old  Indian  they  started  off 
to  hunt  for  food.  After  resting  awhile  the  old  Indian 
went  to  work  to  dress  a  deer-skin.  Mrs.  Scott  observing 
that  his  mind  was  wholly  absorbed  in  his  employment, 
walked  about  from  place  to  place,  and  watching  her  op- 
portunity she  fled,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight  in  the  forest 
After  running  for  some  time  she  came  to  a  cane-brake, 
and  entering  it  was  securely  hidden.  The  Indians,  on 
returning  at  night  and  finding  their  prisoner  gone,  started 
out  in  pursuit  of  her.  It  seems  that  they  had  taken  the 
direction  in  which  she  had  gone;  for  during  the  night 
she  frequently  heard  them  searching  for  her,  and  answer- 


WE8TEKN  METHODISM.  167 

ing  one  another  with  an  owl-like  hoot.  In  the  darkncs? 
of  the  night,  alone  in  the  wilderness,  and  hunted  by  the 
savages  like  a  beast  of  prey,  this  poor  woman  fell  upon 
her  knees,  and  poured  out  her  soul  in  supplication  to  her 
Father,  God.  She  spent  the  night  in  prayer,  and  the  sav- 
ages not  be.ng  able  to  find  her  hiding-place,  left  for  other 
parts.  In  the  morning  she  started  in  the  direction,  as 
she  supposed,  of  Kentucky,  almost  despairing  of  ever 
being  permitted  to  look  upon  a  white  face  again.  Ono 
day,  while  wandering  in  the  wilderness,  not  knowing 
whithw  she  was  going,  almost  ready  to  sink  from  want 
of  food  and  rest,  having  nothing  to  subsist  upon  but 
roots,  young  grape-vines,  and  sweet  cane,  she  heard,  not 
far  from  her,  a  loud  yell  and  a  tremendous  noise,  like  the 
furious  tramping  of  many  horses.  She  instantly  secreted 
herself  in  a  thicket  close  by,  and  in  a  few  moments,  from 
her  hiding-place,  she  saw  a  large  company  of  Indians 
rush  by  with  a  drove  of  horses,  which  they  had  stolen 
from  the  whites.  When  the  sound  had  died  away,  and 
all  was  still,  she  left  her  retreat,  and  journeyed  on. 
After  traveling  a  short  distance,  she  came  in  sight  of  a 
huge  bear,  who  was  devouring  a  deer,  and  so  pressed  was 
she  with  hunger,  that  she  drew  near  in  hopes  of  getting 
some.  At  her  approach  the  bear  looked  up  and  growled 
hideously.  Fearing  an  attack  she  hastened  away.  At 
length  night  came  on  and  she  laid  down,  and  all  through 
its  gloomy  hours  she  dreamed  of  eating;  but  morning 
came,  and  she  was  sick  and  faint  with  hunger.  As  she 
pursued  her  journey  she  came  to  a  rocky  region,  and 
finding  a  cave,  in  which  there  were  some  leaves,  she  con- 
cluded, as  all  hope  had  nearly  deserted  her,  to  go  in  and 
lie  down,  and  resign  herself  to  her  fate.  For  several 
hours  she  occupied  this  den  of  wild  beasts,  and  wept  and 
prayed  for  deliverance  from  her  pain  and  sorrow.  Her 
whole  system  was  racked  with  pain,  so  much  so  that  she 


168  SKETCHES    OF 

could  not  rest,  and  she  was  obliged  to  rise  and  pursue  her 
journey.  She  thought  of  home,  and  the  dear  ones  who 
had  been  rudely  snatched  from  her  embrace,  and  the 
fountains  of  her  grief  were  opened  afresh,  while  her 
moans  and  lamentations  waked  the  echoes  of  the  wilder- 
ness, and  reached  the  ears  of  her  Father  in  heaven. 

Day  after  day  she  traveled  on,  and  she  finally  came  to 
the  spot  where  the  Cumberland  river  breaks  through  the 
mountains.  She  crawled  down  the  cliffs  a  considerable 
distance,  till  the  darkening  defiles  around  her  filled  her 
with  dismay.  Far  down  below  her  rolled  the  rapid  river. 
Around  her  were  craggy  rocks,  and  above  her  the  steep, 
precipitous  cliffs,  which  her  insensibility  to  fear  had  ena- 
bled her  to  descend,  but  which  her  strength  would  never 
allow  her  to  scale.  She  was  now  on  the  edge  of  a  fright- 
ful precipice,  formed  by  a  rock  which  rose  up  perpendicu- 
larly from  the  bank  of  the  river.  To  go  back  she  could 
not,  and  to  descend  that  precipice  would  crush  her  by  the 
fall.  But  it  was  the  only  alternative;  and  falling  upon 
her  knees  she  prayed  most  fervently,  and  commended 
her  soul  to  God.  Then  rising,  she  seized  a  bush  which 
grew  out  of  the  fissures  of  the  rock,  on  the  very  edge, 
and  letting  herself  down  as  far  as  it  would  reach,  she  let 
go,  and  fell  to  the  bottom  on  the  jagged  rocks.  Wonder- 
ful as  it  was,  she  was  not  killed ;  but  bruised  and  man- 
gled, she  lay  in  a  state  of  insensibility  for  several  hours. 
When  she  revived  she  considered  that  her  end  was  near, 
and  soon  her  sufferings  would  end  with  her  life.  But 
her  time  had  not  yet  come,  and  she  was  immortal  till 
that  hour.  A  sensation  of  thirst  came  on  her  that  was 
insupportable.  The  waters  were  before  her,  dashing  their 
spray  almost  at  her  feet,  but  in  her  wounded  and  helpless 
condition  how  could  she  reach  them?  Feeling  that  she 
must  drink  or  die,  she  made  an  effort,  and  by  slow  and 
painful  progress  she  at  last  crawled  to  the  brink,  and 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  169 

quenched  her  burning  thirst.  'This  greatly  revived  her, 
and  after  a  short  time  she  was  able  to  get  up  and  walk. 
Following  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  she  came  to  a 
path,  and,  entering  it,  she  pursued  it  a  short  distance, 
when  it  branched  off  in  two  directions.  One  direction 
of  this  path  led  back  into  the  wilderness;  the  other  to 
the  settlements.  Which  path  to  take  she  knew  not. 
She,  however,  unfortunately  determined  to  take  the  one 
leading  to  the  wilderness.  Before  proceeding  many 
steps,  a  little  bird,  of  a  dove  color,  flew  close  by  her  face, 
and  fluttered  along  into  the  other  path.  She  stopped, 
and  gazed  upon  it,  when  it  flew  toward  her,  and  then  re- 
turned to  the  path  a  second  time.  Taking  this  to  be  a 
Providential  interference,  she  took  the  path  of  the  bird, 
which  flew  ou  before  her,  and  was  at  length  among  the 
abodes  of  humanity  and  civilization. 

Soon  after,  under  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  pioneer, 

she  embraced  religion,  led  a  consistent  life,  and  died  in 

the  triumphs  of  the  Christian  faith.      Brother  Kobler 

preached  her  funeral  discourse,  in  which  he  related  the 

-wonderful  trials  and  deliverances  of  this  pioneer  mother. 

There  being  a  field  open  in  the  region  north-west  of 
the  Ohio,  and  laborers  being  wanted,  Kobler  went  over 
to  travel  the  wilderness  where  we  now  live,  and  preached 
the  Gospel  of  Jesus  to  the  scattered  inhabitants.  A 
sketch,  furnished  by  him  for  the  Western  Historical 
Society,  in  August,  1841,  we  will  insert,  as  it  will  serve 
to  show,  in  his  own  language,  what  was  the  state  and 
condition  of  the  country  upward  of  fifty  years  ago.  It 
begins  as  follows : 

"  In  the  year  1798,  the  writer  of  this  article  was  sent 
by  Bishop  Asbury,  as  a  missionary  to  this  region  of 
country,  then  called  the  North-Western  territory,  now 
Ohio  state,  to  form  a  new  circuit,  and  to  plant  the  first 
principles  of  the  Gospel.  In  passing  through  the  coun- 

15 


170  SKETCHES  or 

try  he  fouud  it  almost  in  its  native,  rude,  and  unculti- 
vated state.  The  inhabitants  were  settled  in  small 
neighborhoods,  and  few  and  far  between;  and  little  or 
no  improvement  about  them.  No  sound  of  the  everlast- 
ing Gospel  had  as  yet  broken  upon  their  ears,  or  glad- 
dened their  hearts;  no  house  of  worship  was  erected 
wherein  Jehovah's  name  was  recorded;  no  joining  the 
assembly  of  the  saints,  or  those  who  keep  the  holy  day ; 
but  the  whole  might,  with  strict  propriety,  be  called 
'a  land  of  darkness,  and  the  shadow  of  death/ 

'Where  the  sound  of  a  church-going  bell, 

Those  vales  and  rocks  uever  heard 
Ne'er  sighed  at  the  sound  of  a  knell, 
Xor  smiled  when  a  Sabbath  appeared.' 

"The  site  on  which  Cincinnati  now  stands,  was  nearly  a 
dense  and  uncultivated  forest.  No  improvement  was  to 
be  seen  but  Fort  Washington,  which  was  built  on  the 
brow  of  the  hill,  and  extended  down  to  the  margin  of 
the  river;  around  which  was  built  a  number  of  cabins, 
in  which  resided  the  first  settlers  of  the  place.  This 
fortress  was  then  under  the  command  of  General  Har- 
rison, and  was  the  great  place  of  rendezvous  for  the  fed- 
eral troops,  which  were  sent  by  the  government  to  guard 
the  frontiers,  or  to  go  forth  to  war  with  the  Indians.  In 
this  state  of  things  the  writer  left  this  country  forty 
years  ago,  and  never  saw  or  visited  the  state  of  Ohio  till 
the  third  day  of  July  last,  at  which  time  he  came  from 
aboard  the  steamboat  Bristol,  and  walked  through  a  con- 
siderable part  of  the  city  of  Cincinnati ;  but  he  has  no 
language  to  express  his  reflections,  and  the  peculiarity  of 
thoughts  which  rushed  upon  his  mind,  while  comparing 
the  past  state  of  things  with  the  present.  After  passing 
from  street  to  street,  and  from  square  to  square  for  more 
than  half  a  mile,  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  no  city 
in  the  Union  could  vie  with  it  in  beauty  and  magnitude, 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 

considering  its  short  growth.  Having,  since  arriving  in 
Cincinnati,  traveled  over  many  parts  of  his  old  mission- 
ary ground,  he  finds  ft  most  astonishing  change  and  im- 
provement has  taken  place.  Where  formerly  there  were 
indistinct  paths,  sometimes  only  trees  being  blazed  to 
direct  our  course  from  one  house  or  settlement  to  another, 
now  there  are  highly-improved  roads,  and  turnpikes,  and 
and  every  facility  for  public  conveyance.  And  where 
there  stood  unbroken  forests,  now  there  are  numerous 
villages  and  large  towns,  numbering  their  thousands. 
The  farms  and  farm-houses  are  equal  in  convenience, 
beauty,  and  taste  to  any  in  the  Union.  But  the  best  and 
most  encouraging  of  all  is,  to  see  a  large  proportion  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  country,  both  in  villages  and 
cities,  truly  religious;  men  and  women  who  fear  God, 
and  work  righteousness.  The  writer  of  this  article  can 
not  help  here  adverting  to  the  time  when  he  spread  the 
first  table  for  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper,  that 
was  spread  north-west  of  the  Ohio.  When  the  commu- 
nicants were  called  to  approach  the  table,  the  number  did 
not  exceed  twenty-five  or  thirty;  this  was  the  sum  total 
of  all  that  were  in  the  country.  Now  the  Minutes  of 
the  annual  conferences  of  Ohio  return  one  hundred  thou- 
sand regular  Church  members;  so  mightily  hath  the 
word  of  God  run  and  prevailed !  Where  we  once 
preached  in  log-cabins,  we  now  see  stately  churches 
erected,  whose  spires  point  toward  heaven,  and  whose 
solemn  bells  announce  the  arrival  of  the  Christian  Sab- 
bath, and  call  the  attention  of  the  multitude  to  the  house 
of  God.  This  is  indeed  the  Lord's  doing,  and  a  circum- 
stance of  the  deepest  regard  to  its  original  founder;  and 
he  would  pray  that  this  land  may  continue  to  be  greatly 
blessed  of  the  Lord,  and  continue  to  "be  a  people  with 
whom  God  may  delight  to  dwell.  I  should  judge  from 
the  locality  of  the  country,  the  richness  of  the  soil, 


172  SKETCHES    OF 

salubrity  of  climate,  and  the  industry  of  the  inhabit- 
ants, that  in  a  few  years  this  state  will  be  equal  in  wealth, 
and  number,  if  not  superior  to  any  of  the  eastern  states. 
The  Church,  in  her  present  onward  course,  is  spreading 
a  divine  influence  which  deeply  affects  all  states  and 
conditions,  sects  and  orders  of  men.  Look  in  any  direc- 
tion and  you  will  see  her  rising  up  in  all  the  power  and 
majesty  of  divine  grace,  the  righteousness  thereof  going 
forth  with  brightness,  and  the  salvation  thereof  like  unto  a 
lamp  that  burneth.  Our  Congress  and  legislative  halls 
have  in  them  their  Obadiahs — a  number  who  are  not 
ashamed  to  confess  'that  they  fear  the  Lord  greatly;'  and 
while  they  sit  at  the  helm  of  government,  and  guide  the 
destinies  of  our  wide-spreading  republic,  we  see  them  fully 
awake  to  the  interests  of  the  Church,  under  the  convic- 
tion that  '  righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  while  sin  is  a 
reproach  to  any  people.'  But  whence  is  this  divine 
knowledge  derived?  Certainly  from  the  Bible;  that 
book  which  is  sending  forth  a  flood  of  divine  light  and 
truth  into  every  department  of  Church  and  state.  While 
we  as  ministers  and  members  of  the  Church  enjoy  those 
invaluable  privileges,  it  is  our  duty  to  lay  them  deeply  to 
heart,  that  we  may  duly  appreciate  and  wisely  improve 
them.  Your  aged  servant,  the  writer  of  this  article,  has 
been  standing  on  the  walls  of  our  Zion  for  fifty-five  years; 
and  while,  with  unwearied  vigilance,  he  has  been  guard- 
ing and  laboring  for  the  interests  of  the  Church,  he  has 
been  making  strict  observations  on  circumstances  and 
things  connected  with  the  Church;  and  from  long  obser- 
vation he  has  been  fully  convinced,  and,  of  late,  more  so 
than  ever,  that  it  is  the  doctrine  which  we  preach,  the 
discipline  which  we  have  exercised,  and  the  system  by 
which,  as  a  Church,  we  are  regulated,  that  have  pro- 
duced those  happy  results,  in  the  conversion  and  sanctifi- 
cation  of  so  many  thousands.  Our  doctrines  are :  First,  a 


WKbTKBN    METHODISM.  173 

free  salvation ;  so  that  wherever  the  minister  meets  his 
congregation,  be  they  many  or  few,  he  feels  no  hesitancy 
in  offering  salvation  to  every  soul  present,  and  accord- 
ingly tells  them, l  that  Jesus  Christ,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
tasted  death  for  every  man.'  Secondly,  we  preach  a 
present  salvation ;  which  is  salvation  by  faith  alone,  as 
the  condition,  and  the  only  condition,  of  our  justification 
before  God.  Thirdly,  the  doctrine  of  holiness,  as  the 
Christian's  highest  privilege,  and  most  indispensable 
duty.  St.  Paul  terms  ifr,  'The  mark  and  prize  of  our 
high  calling,  which  is  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,'  and  ex- 
horts all  believers  to  press  to  its  attainment.  To  the 
doctrines  of  the  everlasting  Gospel  we  owe  all  our  spir- 
itual achievements;  and,  as  a  people,  all  that  we  have 
and  are.  Our  system  of  doctrine  and  discipline  has 
been  well  and  long  tried.  It  has  stood  the  fiery  ordeal 
of  one  century,  and  has  come  forth  as  gold  and  as  'silver 
tried  in  a  furnace  of  earth,  and  purified  seven  times.' 
Here,  then,  I  would  say  to  our  ministers  and  to  the 
Church,  whereunto  we  have  already  attained,  let  us 
walk  by  the  same  rule ;  let  us  mind  the  same  things ; 
never  lose  sight  of  the  spirit  and  practice  of  Gospel 
holiness  in  all  its  bights  and  depths,  as  the  leading  and 
essential  qualification  for  the  Christian  ministry.  The 
herald  of  mercy  and  grace  may  speak  with  the  tongue  of 
angelic  eloquence  rather  than  men;  but  if  he  lacks 
love — the  constraining  principle,  2  Cor.  v,  14 — he  will 
be  only  as  'sounding  brass,  or  as  a  tinkling  cymbal.'  St 
Paul  saith,  '  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us.'  0,  who 
can  tell  the  force,  the  power,  and  the  eloquence  of  con- 
straining love !  This  alone  can  carry  fire  to  frozen  hearts, 
and  make  the  terrified  sinner  to  cry,  'What  must  I  do  to 
be  saved?'  When  one  of  those  master-spirits,  from  the 
sacred  desk,  draws  the  Gospel  bow  at  a  venture,  his  arm 
is  nerved  with  an  almighty  energy;  the  arrows  of  the 

15* 


174  SKETCHES    OF 

Almighty  will  be  sharp  arid  powerful  in  the  hearts  of  the 
King's  enemies,  whereby  the  people  will  fall  under  Him. 
Dear  brethren  in  the  ministry,  let  us  press  on  to  a  higher 
state  of  holiness ;  let  us  be  '  men  of  one  Book/  studying 
closely  the  Bible — men  mighty  in  prayer,  having  deep 
communion  with  God ;  let  us  go  from  our  knees  into  the 
pulpit,  and  there,  with  enlarged  hearts  and  open  mouths, 
and  losing  all  sight  of  self,  and  every  shadow  of  self, 
preach  as  a  dying  man  to  dying  men,  holding  up  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Great  Expedient  for  a  lost  and 
ruined  world.  Let  holiness  be  in  every  composition,  and 
make  a  part  of  every  sermon.  Blessed  is  that  minister 
that  shall  be  found  so  doing.  Though  his  preaching 
abilities  may  be  small  and  lightly  esteemed  by  a  misjudg- 
ing world,  yet,  clad  in  Gospel  panoply  complete,  and  hav- 
ing on  the  armor  of  righteousness,  on  the  right  hand  and 
on  the  left,  he  will  'turn  many  to  righteousness,'  and 
shine  as  the  stars  forever  and  ever.  Let  us  not  only 
teach  our  Church  publicly,  but  from  house  to  house,  vis- 
iting their  families,  and  encouraging  and  praying  with 
them;  by  which  means  they  will  be  strengthened,  and 
made  to  walk  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  in  the  comforts  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  By  this  means  you  will  be  instruments 
in  'strengthening  the  weak,  binding  up  that  which  was 
bro.ken,  and  bringing  back  that  which  was  driven  away.' 
Meet  the  class,  if  possible,  after  preaching.  In  the  early 
stage  of  Methodism  the  class  meeting  was  our  bond  of 
union.  0,  with  what  warm  hearts  did  the  dear  people 
go  to  the  class-room ;  and  there,  with  sobbing  hearts  and 
flowing  eyes,  would  tell  over  their  trials,  and  what  God 
had  done  for  their  souls ;  and  all  this  in  such  a  melting 
strain  that  the  hardest  heart  could  not  remain  unmoved. 
0,  let  us  take  heed  to  ourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock  over 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  us  overseers,  to  feed 
the  Church  of  God,  which  he  hath  purchased  with  his 


WE8TEBN    METHODISM.  175 

own  blood.  As  the  dew  upon  Mount  Ilermon,  and  as  the 
dew  that  descended  upon  the  mountains  of  Zion,  so  may 
the  Lord  command  his  blessing  upon  his  people,  even 
life  for  evermore." 

Though  Kobler  was  possessed  of  a  constitution  natu- 
rally of  more  than  ordinary  strength,  the  privation  and 
toil,  accompanied  with  the  necessary  exposure  of  a  Meth- 
odist missionary  at  that  early  day  in  the  history  of  our 
country  and  the  Church, gave  to  that  constitution  a  shock 
from  which  it  never  recovered.  Endowed  with  abilities, 
as  a  preacher,  above  mediocrity,  and  fired  with  a  zeal 
worthy  his  high  vocation,  for  a  period  of  eighteen  years 
he  labored  with  great  success  in  the  itinerant  field,  and 
many  souls  were  converted  through  his  instrumentality. 
Being  completely  prostrated  by  disease,  in  the  year  1809 
he  was  induced  to  locate,  and  settled  in  the  neighborhood 
in  which  he  was  born. 

Unsought  by  himself,  in  the  year  1836  the  Baltimore 
annual  conference  placed  his  name  on  the  list  of  its 
superannuated  ministers.  Fond  of  meeting  with  the 
redeemed  of  the  Lord,  as  age  grew  upon  him,  and  as  ho 
was  unable  to  visit  distant  circuit  appointments,  he  sought 
for  a  residence  in  a  place  where  he  could  assemble  with 
the  people  of  God,  and  be  useful;  and  hence  he  removed 
to  Fredericksburg,  Virginia.  In  that  place  his  saint-like 
spirit,  exhibited  in  Christian  conversation,  his  dignified 
ministerial  bearing,  and  his  untiring  labors  in  preaching, 
exhorting,  praying,  visiting  the  sick  and  imprisoned,  did 
more,  under  God,  to  give  character  and  permanency  to 
Methodism  in  that  place  than  any  other  human  agency. 
The  Church  in  Fredericksburg  was  small  and  poor,  and 
the  house  in  which  the  members  worshiped  was  dilapi- 
dated and  situated  in  an  out-of-the-way  place.  The  mem 
bership  resolved  to  better  their  condition,  and  thereby 
increase  their  facilities  for  doing  good  by  building  a  new 


176  SKETCHES    OF 

church.  To  aid  them  in  this  undertaking,  father  Kobler 
was  not  only  one  of  the  most  liberal  subscribers,  but  he 
started  out,  in  the  seventy-fourth  year  of  his  age,  on  an 
excursion,  appealing  to  the  Churches  of  the  west,  the 
early  field  of  his  itinerant  toil,  for  assistance.  During 
this  tour  he  visited  the  Ohio  conference,  and  met  with 
success  in  his  undertaking.  He  seemed,  like  good  old 
Simeon,  to  wait  for  the  completion  and  dedication  of  this 
house  of  the  Lord ;  and  when  the  day  at  length  arrived, 
and  the  Lord  was  invoked  to  take  possession  of  the 
newly-erected  temple,  while  all  the  lovers  of  Methodism 
were  joyful,  the  old  patriarch  was  transported.  The 
object  for  which  he  had  ardently  prayed  and  labored  was 
accomplished,  and  he  was  ready  to  say,  "Now,  Lord,  let- 
test  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace ;  for  mine  eyes  have 
seen  thy  salvation."  His  days,  however,  were  length- 
ened, and  he  was  permitted  to  witness  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  powerful  revivals  in  that  church.  The 
glorious  work  had  hardly  abated  ere  disease  laid  its  de- 
stroying hand  upon  him.  During  his  affliction  he  was 
perfectly  happy,  and  the  light  of  heaven  beamed  on  his 
happy  countenance.  Without  a  murmur  he  suffered  the 
will  of  his  Master.  Often  was  he  heard  to  say,  "  Living 
or  dying,  I  am  the  Lord's."  On  his  friends  asking  him 
if  he  had  any  thing  he  desired  them  to  pray  for,  he 
replied,  "Pray  for  the  Church,  that  God  would  abund- 
antly pour  out  his  Spirit  upon  it,  and  take  it  into  close 
keeping  with  himself."  On  one  occasion  he  said,  "I 
have  dug  deep,  and  brought  all  the  evidence  to  bear,  and 
I  find  I  have  a  strong  confidence,  which  nothing  can 
shake;  but  all  is  through  the  infinite  merits  of  my  Lord 
and  Savior.  I  wish  it  to  be  known  to  all,  that  the  prin- 
ciples which  I  have  believed,  and  taught,  and  practiced 
in  life,  I  cling  to  in  death,  and  find  they  sustain  me.  I 
have  tried  all  my  life  to  make  my  ministry  and  life  con- 


WE8TKBN    METHODISM.  177 

sistent."  About  half  an  hour  before  he  died  he  was 
asked,  "Is  Jesus  precious?"  "  O,  yes,  very  precious!" 
and  then  he  uttered,  as  his  last  words  on  earth,  "  Come, 
Lord  Jesus ;  come  in  power,  come  quickly  1"  In  a  few 
minutes  he  was  no  more;  the  spirit  had  gone  to  heaven. 
Having  left  the  tabernacle  which  it  had  occupied  for 
three  quarters  of  a  century,  it  went  to  its  building  of 
God  above. 


ITS  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  X. 

BENJAMIN    LAKIN. 

THIS  western  pioneer  was  born  in  the  state  of  Mary- 
land. When  quite  young  his  parents  removed  to  the 
state  of  Pennsylvania;  but  not  being  satisfied  with  the 
country,  they  continued  their  peregrinations  westward  till 
they  arrived  at  the  state  of  Kentucky.  It  was  in  the 
early  settlement  of  that  country  that  they  made  their 
home  among  its  cane-brakes.  Young  Lakin,  sharing  the 
fortunes  of  his  father,  amid  the  scenes  of  the  dark  and 
bloody  ground,  could  not  be  expected  to  have  received 
much  literary  or  religious  training.  In  that  day  there 
were  few  who  knew  any  thing  about  experimental  relig- 
ion, what  there  was  consisting  more  of  a  mere  form  than 
any  thing  else.  Indeed,  there  was  precious  little  even  of 
that.  Still  the  country  was  not  wholly  destitute  for  a 
wandering  Methodist  preacher,  whose  circuit,  like  the 
track  of  a  comet,  swept  over  the  whole  space  of  the 
country,  would  touch  at  the  different  and  distant  neigh- 
borhoods, and  pour  from  his  heart,  richly  filled  with  the 
treasures  of  experimental  religion,  the  soul-saving  truths 
of  the  Gospel.  Under  the  influence  of  such  preaching, 
young  Lakin  was  brought  to  feel  his  need  of  a  Savior; 
and,  after  seeking  with  great  earnestness  for  the  blessing 
of  pardon  and  salvation,  he  at  length  was  enabled,  through 
faith,  to  behold  and  embrace  the  "  Lamb  of  God,  who 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  It  was  not  long  after 
his  conversion  that  he  felt  called  to  take  up  his  cross  and 
follow  his  Savior,  in  bearing  the  messages  of  mercy  to  his 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  179 

dying  fellow-men.  There  was  nothing  in  those  days  to 
render  an  itinerant  life  in  the  least  degree  inviting. 
Every  step  of  such  a  mission  was  connected  with  danger 
and  toil;  and  it  was  not  likely  that  any  would  enter  the 
ministry  except  from  the  firmest  convictions  of  a  duty 
the  most  pressing  and  imperative  in  its  nature.  It  seems 
to  us,  though  we  may  be  wrong — if  so,  God  forgive  us — 
that  such  has  been  the  change  wrought  upon  the  face  of 
the  country  and  society  in  general,  making  the  post  of  a 
Gospel  minister  rather  desirable  than  otherwise,  that 
many  do  not  feel  that  awful  sense  of  responsibility  con- 
nected with  the  calling  which  it  is  just  as  important  to 
feel  now  as  then,  and  that  we  find  young  men  entering 
upon  this  work  about  in  the  same  way,  and  with  no  greater 
anxiety  or  interest  than  they  would  enter  upon  any  learned 
or  business  profession  for  the  purpose  of  honor  and  emol- 
ument; and  the  danger  of  mistaking  the  call  is  increased, 
from  the  fact  that  so  much  stress  is  laid  upon  mere  lit- 
erary training  and  scholastic  attainments  connected  with 
the  wonderfully-restless  desire  the  present  generation  has 
for  learned  ministers.  We  know  of  nothing  that  would 
tend  more  effectually  to  bring  back  the  dark  ages  upon 
the  Church  than  such  a  disposition  to  exalt  learning  at 
the  expense  of  the  zeal  and  wisdom  of  our  fathers  in  the 
ministry.  They  perhaps  knew  little  about  Latin,  Greek, 
and  Hebrew,  or  Biblical  literature,  in  the  critical  sense 
of  that  term,  but  they  were  thoroughly  versed  in  the 
Bible;  and  hence,  in  the  language  of  Luther,  "JSonu* 
textuarius,  bonus  iheologus" — he  is  always  the  best  diviuc 
who  is  best  acquainted  with. the  Scriptures.  They  were 
men  of  the  Bible;  men  of  faith  and  men  of  prayer;  and 
coming  to  their  congregations  with  an  unction  from  the 
holy  One,  the  word  of  God  was  like  "a  fire  and  a  ham- 
mer, which  broke  the  rock  in  pieces."  We  would  not 
decry  knowledge;  God  forbid!  Let  the  minister  of  the 


180  SKETCHES    OP 

present  day  study  all  the  branches  of  theological  litera- 
ture, and  all  collateral  sciences,  posting  himself  up  thor- 
oughly in  all  departments;  but  above  all,  let  him,  when 
he  comes  to  feed  the  flock  <of  God,  come  from  the  deep 
fountains  of  eternal  Truth,  and  from  the  foot  of  the 
cross.  Let  his  visits  be  frequent  to  Tabor  and  Olivet,  as 
well  as  Gethsemane  and  Calvary,  and,  filled  with  the  Spirit 
of  Jesus,  he  will  be  mighty,  through  God,  to  the  pulling 
down  of  the  strongholds  of  infidelity  and  sin.  We  do 
not  believe,  now  that  the  days  of  miracles  and  inspiration 
are  passed,  that  God  will  prepare  sermons  for  drones,  or 
that  he  will  convert  a  dull  and  stupid  intellect  into  a 
bright  one.  Such  extraordinary  manifestations  we  are 
not  to  look  for;  and  hence  we  judge  with  the  Church, 
that  with  "grace"  must  be  connected  "gifts."  We 
recollect  distinctly  when,  if  a  father  had  three  sons  and 
was  able  to  give  then  an  education,  he  selected  the  bright- 
est for  a  lawyer,  the  next  for  a  doctor,  and  the  dullest  of 
all  for  a  preacher.  We  would  reverse  this  arrangement, 
and  judge  that  the  last  should  be  first  and  the  first  last. 
But  to  our  sketch. 

Young  Lakin  was  called  to  preach,  and,  conferring  not 
with  flesh  and  blood,  he  entered  the  itinerant  ranks  in 
the  year  1794,  and  traveled  under  the  presiding  elder, 
Francis  Poythress.  In  the  following  spring  he  was  ad- 
mitted on  trial  and  appointed  to  Green  River  circuit.  In 
1796  he  was  appointed  to  Danville  circuit,  and  in  1797 
he  was  admitted  into  full  connection,  ordained  a  deacon, 
and  appointed  to  Lexington  circuit.  During  this  year  he 
married  an  excellent  wife  and  located.  Such  was  the 
prejudice  that  existed  in  the  Church,  at  that  day,  against 
married  preachers,  that  it  was  almost  out  of  the  question 
for  any  man  to  continue  in  the  work  if  he  had  a  wife. 
They  were  not  exactly  obliged  to  take  the  Popish  vow  of 
celibacy,  but  it  almost  amounted  to  the  same  thing;  and 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  181 

there  being  such  a  high  example  for  single  life,  as  exhib- 
ited in  the  cases  of  the  bishops,  if  a  preacher  married 
he  was  looked  upon  almost  as  a  heretic  who  had  denied 
the  faith.  Besides,  no  provision  was  made  for  the  wife, 
and  she  was  regarded,  on  all  hands,  as  an  incumbrance. 
Whether  this  opposition  arose  from  the  poverty  or  parsi- 
moniousness  of  the  Church,  or  from  the  belief  that  a 
man  with  a  wife  was  not  sufficiently  disentangled  from 
the  world,  and  hence  unfit  for  the  work  of  an  itinerant, 
or,  perhaps,  from  all  combined,  we  know  not;  but  such 
was  the  fact,  that  but  only  one  or  two  had  courage  and 
endurance  enough  to  travel  when  married.  We  recollect 
that  within  the  last  twenty  years,  in  the  Ohio  conference, 
young  men  have  been  discontinued  who  married  within 
two  years,  though  there  was  nothing  else  against  them. 

Under  such  a  state  of  things  Lakin  located,  and  labor- 
ing with  his  own  hands  during  the  week,  to  support  hit 
family,  he  preached  from  place  to  place  on  Sabbath  with 
zeal  and  power.  Having  to  support  himself  there  was  no 
objection  to  his  preaching;  for  of  all  denominations  of 
Christians  we  ever  knew,  the  Methodists,  in  general,  are 
most  attached  to  a  free  Gospel ;  that  is,  one  that  costs  them 
nothing;  and,  humiliating  as  it  may  seem,  we  have  heard 
some  thank  God  for  it.  The  time  came,  however,  when 
brother  Lakin,  being  able,  after  some  sort,  to  support  his 
family,  re-entered  the  traveling  connection,  and  was  ap- 
pointed to  Limestone  circuit.  In  the  year  1802  he  was 
appointed  to  travel  Scioto  and  Miami  circuits  combined. 
We  request  our  reader  to  look  at  the  map  and  see  the  ex- 
tent of  the  field  of  this  one  man's  labor — a  tract  of  coun- 
try including  all  southern  Ohio.  It  was  during  this  year 
we  became  acquainted  with  this  pioneer.  We  met  him 
as  he  was  moving  from  Kentucky  to  the  field  of  his  labor. 
The  point  where  we  met  him  was  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  Little  Miami,  the  track  of  the  railroad  now  occupy- 
16 


182  SKETCHES  OF 

ing  the  spot.  Then  there  was  nothing  that  deserved  the 
name  of  a  road — a  kind  of  a  trace.  We  were  surprised  to 
see  a  man  and  woman  in  a  cart  drawn  by  one  horse — sur- 
prised, because  this  was  a  superior  way  of  traveling,  not 
known  to  the  settlers,  who  traveled  and  carried  their 
movables  oa  pack-horses.  As  we  came  up  we  halted  to 
look  at  his  vehicle.  As  we  stopped  he  inquired  how  far 
it  was  to  the  next  house.  This  we  were  unable  to  tell, 
for  the  road  was  uninhabited.  We  then  had  the  curios- 
ity to  ask  him  who  he  was,  where  he  was  going,  and  what 
was  his  business?  He  quickly  and  kindly  replied,  "My 
name  is  Lakin;  I  am  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  am  going 
to  preach  the  Gospel  to  lost  sinners  in  the  Miami  and 
Scioto  country."  Filled  with  strange  imaginings  we 
parted,  and  the  preacher  drove  on. 

What  would  the  young  preacher  of  the  present  day 
think  of  taking  his  wife  in  a  cart  and  starting  out  with- 
out money,  home,  or  friends  and  traveling  through  the 
wilderness  seeking  for  the  lost?  Yet  such  trials  and 
hardships  your  fathers  endured.  God  be  praised  that 
the  times  have  changed,  and  that  you  are  not  subjected 
to  the  same  toils  and  sufferings!  After  filling  up  this 
year  brother  Lakin  was  sent  to  Salt  River  circuit,  in 
Kentucky,  and  in  all  probability  returned  with  his  family 
and  all  in  that  little  cart.  In  1804  he  was  appointed  to 
Danville,  and  in  1805  to  Salt  River  and  Shelby  united. 
In  1806  and  1807  he  was  sent  back  to  Miami,  and  trav- 
eled successively  the  following  circuits;  namely,  Deer 
Creek,  Hockhocking,  Cincinnati,  Whiteoak,  Union,  Lime- 
stone, Lexington,  and  Hinkston.  At  the  close  of  his 
year  on  this  circuit,  his  health  failing,  he  was  returned 
supernumerary,  and  the  next  year — 1819 — continuing  to 
decline,  he  was  placed  on  the  superannuated  list,  where 
he  remained  till  the  day  of  his  death. 

Wo  have  thus  given  a  brief  and  rapid  outline  of  the 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  183 

labors  of  this  faithful  and  devoted  servant  of  Jesus.  He 
was  one  of  the  ministers  of  those  days  who  stood  side  by 
side  and  guided  the  Church  through  that  most  remark- 
able revival  of  religion,  which  swept  like  a  tornado  over 
the  western  world.  In  the  greatest  excitement  the  clear 
and  penetrating  voice  of  Lakin  might  be  heard  amid  the 
din  and  roar  of  the  Lord's  battle,  directing  the  wounded 
to  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 
world.  Day  and  night  he  was  upon  the  watchtower,  and 
in  the  class  and  praying  circles  his  place  was  never 
empty — leading  the  blind  by  the  right  way,  carrying  the 
lambs  in  his  bosom,  urging  on  the  laggard  professor,  and 
warning  the  sinner  in  tones  of  thunder  to  flee  the  wrath 
to  come.  While  he  was  in  the  relation  of  a  worn-out 
preacher  he  never  had  a  dumb  Sabbath,  always  having 
his  appointments  ahead,  except  when  quarterly  or  camp 
meetings  would  intervene.  He  was  always  on  hand  at 
these,  and  would  preach  and  labor  with  all  his  remaining 
strength.  Great  success  attended  his  labors,  and  he  was 
universally  accepted  and  beloved  as  a  minister  of  Jesus. 
We  knew  him  well,  and  loved  him  as  a  father  in  the  Gos- 
pel with  a  pure  heart  fervently.  His  visits  to  our  family, 
once  a  year,  were  looked  for  with  great  solicitude,  and  he 
was  made  a  blessing  to  all  the  children.  Father  Lakin 
did  not  suffer  his  calm,  benignant  features,  in  his  last 
days,  to  be  wrinkled  with  a  sour  godliness.  There  was 
no  howling  or  whining  about  every  thing  going  wrong  in 
the  Church  and  among  the  preachers.  He  had  a  con- 
tempt for  croakers,  and  would  look  up  and  thank  God  for 
a  good  conservative  progress  in  all  the  departments  of 
Methodism.  Quiet,  and  peaceful,  and  glorious,  as  when 
the  descending  sun  throws  his  last  rays  on  a  receding 
world,  tinging  the  trees  and  mountains  with  his  mellow 
light,  did  this  venerable  servant  of  the  cross  pass  down 
to  the  grave.  He  preached  his  last  sermon  in  M'Kendree 


18i  SKETCHES    OF 

Chapel,  Brown  county,  Ohio,  on  the  28th  day  of  January, 
1848.  On  Tuesday  he  returned  home  to  Point  Pleasant. 
The  next  two  days  he  complained  some  of  indisposition, 
but  on  Friday  he  started  on  horseback — his  usual  mode 
of  traveling — to  quarterly  meeting,  at  Felicity,  0.  After 
riding  six  miles  he  reached  the  house  of  sister  Richards 
in  usual  health,  and  enjoying  a  very  happy  frame  of 
mind.  He  conversed  freely  and  cheerfully  with  the  fam- 
ily till  about  seven  o'clock,  when  looking  at  his  watch  he 
stepped  out  of  the  room  door  and  fell.  The  family,  sup- 
posing he  had  fainted,  used  all  the  means  in  their  power 
to  revive  him;  but  his  work  was  done,  and  his  happy 
spirit  had  fled  to  the  mansions  above.  Thus,  in  the 
eighty-second  year  of  his  age,  and  the  fifty-fourth  of  his 
ministry,  this  devoted,  self-sacrificing  preacher  of  the 
Gospel 

"Ceased  at  once  to  work  and  live." 


WE8TEKN    METHODISM. 


185 


CHAPTER  XI. 

JOHN     SALE. 

IF,  as  one  has  said,  "history  is  philosophy  teaching  by 
examples,"  we  may  add,  with  equal  propriety,  biography 
furnishes  the  examples  which  history  records.  No  de- 
partment of  literature  can  be  more  interesting  than  truth- 
ful narratives  of  human  life— certainly  none  can  be  more 
instructive;  and  hence  it  is  that  we  grasp  with  eagerness 
and  read  with  avidity  sketches  of  the  life  and  times  of 
those  who  have  gained  notoriety  by  worthy  or  adventur- 
ous deeds. 

The  subject  of  our  narrative  was  a  western  man.  He 
was  born  in  the  state  of  Virginia,  on  the  24th  of  April, 
1769.  History  furnishes  us  no  account  of  the  precise 
place  of  his  birth,  or  of  his  parentage.  In  early  life  he 
was  awakened  and  converted  to  God,  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  Methodist  preachers  who  visited  the  neigh- 
borhood where  he  resided.  He  soon  joined  the  Church, 
and,  for  a  youth,  became  a  devoted  and  exemplary 
Christian. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  so  many  of  the  early 
preachers  were  converted  in  their  youth.  It  seems  to 
have  been  the  order  of  Providence,  since  the  days  of 
Samuel,  who  was  called  when  a  child  to  the  service  of 
the  sanctuary,  to  take  the  young  and  susceptible  mind 
and  early  train  it,  by  grace,  for  the  great  work  of  the 
ministry.  If  the  reader  will  look  over  the  biographical 
sketches  which  we  have  written,  he  will  find  that  nearly 
all  who  were  called  to  preach  the  Gospel  were,  in  early 
life,  made  the  subjects  of  converting  grace. 

16* 


186  SKETCHES    OF 

When  young  Sale  became  religious  he  was  surrounded 
by  worldly  and  wicked  associations,  and  it  cost  him  an 
effort,  such  as  those  only  can  make  who  have  firmly  re- 
solved, by  God's  grace,  to  break  up  all  unhallowed  asso- 
ciations, and  start  out,  at  all  hazards,  in  the  path  of  life, 
who,  putting  their  hand  to  the  plow  and  counting  the 
cost,  have  crossed  the  chasm  that  separated  them  from 
the  world  of  sin,  and  cut  away  the  communication.  To 
become  a  Methodist  at  that  time,  which  of  all  the  forms 
of  Christianity  was  most  despised  by  the  wicked,  was  to 
enter  upon  a  profession  which  would  insure  the  contempt 
and  scorn  of  the  ungodly,  and,  not  unfrequently,  of  many 
professors  of  another  faith.  The  most  opprobrious  terms 
were  heaped  upon  Methodists  in  that  day,  and  they  were 
called  "fanatics,  swaddlers,"  etc.  Young  Sale,  however, 
had  Christian  courage  and  nerve  enough  to  breast  the 
storm  of  ridicule  which  he  met,  and  bravely  stood  his 
ground,  fully  identifying  himself  with  the  despised  num- 
ber of  God's  children.  With  zeal  and  courage  he  took 
up  the  cross,  despised  the  shame,  and  boldly  espoused  the 
cause  of  his  divine  Master.  He  passed  through  many 
and  severe  conflicts  of  mind  in  regard  to  his  call  to 
preach  the  Gospel;  but  after  much  prayer  and  profound 
consideration  in  regard  to  what  was  his  duty,  he  finally 
yielded  to  the  movings  of  the  Spirit  and  was  licensed  to 
preach,  and  in  due  time  received  on  trial  in  the  traveling 
connection,  at  the  conference  held  at  Salem  Chapel,  in 
the  state  of  Virginia,  on  the  24th  of  November,  1795. 
The  first  circuit  to  which  he  was  sent  was  Swanino,  in 
the  wilds  of  Virginia,  where  he  had  his  courage  and 
fidelity  tested  in  breasting  the  dangers  and  hardships  of 
a  pioneer  preacher.  His  next  circuit  was  the  Mattamus- 
ieet,  in  the  lowlands  of  the  above  state.  Added  to  the 
necessary  hardships  connected  with  traveling  this  circuit, 
it  was  a  very  sickly  region  and  much  dreaded  by  the  itin- 


WESTERN  METHODISM:.  187 

erant;  bat  as  no  scenes  could  disgust  or  dangers  deter 
the  preachers  of  those  days,  wherever,  in  the  providence 
of  God,  their  lot  was  cast,  Sale  went,  in  the  name  of  his 
Master,  and  entered  upon  the  work  assigned  him  ready 
to  do  or  die. 

After  finishing  his  labors  on  this  field,  he  was  sent  over 
the  mountains  to  the  Holston  circuit.  Here,  in  the  west, 
he  had  the  same  hard  fare ;  but  he  had,  as  a  good  and 
faithful  soldier,  enlisted  "  during  the  war,"  and  felt  no 
disposition  to  lay  down  his  arms  till  the  great  Captain  of 
his  salvation  should  grant  him  a  final  release  from  con- 
flict and  suffering  below.  In  the  year  1799  he  traveled 
the  Russell  circuit,  and  the  two  succeeding  years  he 
labored  on  Salt  River  and  Shelby  circuits.  The  next 
year  he  traveled  the  Danville  circuit,  where,  as  on  all  the 
circuits  named,  he  was  made  a  blessing  to  multitudes. 
Many  will  hail  him  on  the  shores  of  immortality  as  tho 
honored  instrument  of  their  conversion  to  God. 

In  the  year  1803  he  was  sent  to  the  North-Western 
territory,  and  stationed  on  Scioto  circuit,  which  embraced 
a  large  extent  of  country.  The  following  year  he  was 
appointed*  to  Miami  circuit.  These  two  circuits  then 
embraced  all  the  south  and  west  portions  of  the  now  state 
of  Ohio.  It  was  while  traveling  this  circuit  that  he 
organized  the  first  society  of  Methodists  in  Cincinnati, 
mention  of  which  the  reader  will  find  in  the  chapter 
which  relates  to  the  origin  and  progress  of  Methodism  in 
Cincinnati.  The  conference  which  had  been  held  at  Mt. 
Gertzim  the  preceding  year,  organized  the  Ohio  district, 
which  was  the  first  in  the  state,  and  the  Rev.  William 
Burke  was  appointed  the  presiding  elder,  as  his  auto- 
biography will  show.  For  the  purpose  of  giving  the 
preachers  of  the  present  day  some  idea  of  the  extent  of 
the  fields  of  labor,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  were 
•applied,  we  will  give  a  list  of  appointments :  Muskingum 


188  SKETCHES    OF 

and  Little  Kanawha,  George  Asians;  Hockhocking, 

tiinn,  John  Meek;  Scioto,  William  Patterson,  Nathan 
Barnes;  Miami,  John  Sale,  J.  Oglesby;  Guyandotte,  Asa 
Shinn.  When  we  take  into  the  account  the  sparseness 
of  the  population,  the  distance  between  the  appoint- 
ments without  roads,  rivers  to  be  crossed  without  bridges, 
it  must  be  obvious  that  none  but  such  as  felt  a  necessity 
laid  upon  them  to  preach  the  Gospel  would  be  likely  to 
engage  in  such  a  work.  In  the  year  1805  he  returned  to 
Kentucky  and  was  appointed  to  the  Lexington  circuit. 
Here  he  labored  with  success  in  cultivating  the  vineyard 
of  the  Lord,  and  at  the  expiration  of  the  year  was  sent 
to  the  Ohio  district,  where  he  labored  with  untiring  zeal 
for  two  years.  At  this  time  the  district  was  divided,  and 
he  was  appointed  to  the  Miami  district.  It  was  during 
his  labors  on  this  district  that  we  first  became  acquainted 
with  him,  and  from  his  hand  in  1809  we  received  our 
first  license  to  preach  the  Gospel.  He  had  employed  us 
to  travel  on  the  circuit  four  months  previous  to  the  date 
of  our  license,  and  with  his  permit  we  endeavored  to 
preach  Christ  and  his  salvation  around  the  circuit.  From 
the  camp  meeting  on  Paint  creek,  where  we  received 
license  to  preach,  without  any  recommendation  from  a 
class  meeting  or  quarterly  conference  we  were  recom- 
mended to  the  annual  conference  for  admission,  and  ac- 
cordingly received.  A  short  time  since  we  visited  this 
consecrated  spot.  But  the  grand  old  woods  were  gone. 
The  trees,  which  spread  their  giant  branches  and  screened 
us  from  the  sun,  affording  the  most  refreshing  shade, 
have  been  leveled  by  the  axman's  stroke,  and  there,  in 
that  cornfield  where  we  stood,  had  been  gathered  thou- 
sands of  men  and  women,  from  all  parts  of  the  country, 
to  listen  to  the  words  of  life.  A  thousand  recollections 
rushed  upon  us  as  we  stood  there  and  wept  to  think  how 
many  of  that  assembled  throng  had  passed  away.  Here 


WKSTKRN    METHODISM.  189 

stood  the  Rev.  Dr.  Tiffin,  and  the  eloquent  Monett,  and 
the  zealous  Collins,  of  the  Baltimore  conference — father 
of  the  late  Rev.  John  Collins — the  presiding  elder,  and 
the  aged  father  of  the  writer  of  this  sketch,  and  with 
full  and  fervent  hearts  proclaimed  God's  love  to  perish- 
ing sinners,  many  of  whom  tremblingly  fled  to  Christ  for 
mercy,  and  found  pardon  and  salvation.  But  preachers 
and  people  have  alike  gone  to  that  bourne  from  whence 
no  traveler  returns,  these  to  answer  for  the  manner  in 
which  they  discharged  their  duty  as  ministers  of  the 
Gospel,  and  those  to  render  an  account  for  the  manner  in 
which  they  received  that  Gospel  from  their  lips.  What 
a  solemn  reflection,  that  in  a  few  years  all  the  old  pio- 
neers who  preached  the  Gospel  in  the  west  will  be  gone, 
and  nothing  left  to  tell  of  their  toils  and  sufferings  but  a 
few  hasty  sketches ! 

In  this  field  of  labor  brother  Sale  was  quite  successful, 
and  prosperity  attended  his  labors  in  all  parts  of  the  dis- 
trict. The  next  four  years  he  labored  on  the  Kentucky 
district,  and  the  two  following  he  was  back  again  on  the 
Miami  district.  In  1817  he  traveled  Union  circuit,  and 
the  following  year  Mad  River;  and  in  1819  he  is  again 
on  the  Miami  district.  The  year  following,  in  conse- 
quence of  loss  of  health,  he  was  obliged  to  take  a  super- 
annuated relation,  in  which  he  remained  for  five  years,  at 
the  expiration  of  which  time,  his  health  improving,  he 
was  made  effective,  and  appointed  to  the  Wilmington  cir- 
cuit. The  next  year  he  traveled  Union  circuit,  and  the 
following  1'iqua,  where  he  closed  his  labors  with  his 
life. 

How  rapidly  have  we  passed  over  the  labors  of  the  last 
ten  years  of  his  life,  all  summed  up  in  a  few  lines ;  and 
how  meager  the  whole  of  our  sketch  of  this  pioneer 
preacher !  And  yet  how  can  it  be  otherwise,  where  noth- 
ing is  left,  not  even  a  page,  from  which  to  gather  a  his- 


190  SKETCHES    OF 

tory  of  his  labors  ?  Indeed,  were  it  not  for  the  printed 
Minutes,  -which  contain  his  appointments  from  year  to 
year,  not  even  this  much  could  be  saved  from  oblivion 
If  "blessings  brighten  as  they  take  their  flight,"  and  we 
are  not  disposed  to  appreciate  them  till  they  are  removed 
from  us,  how  assiduously  should  we  labor  to  gather  up 
the  reminiscences  of  our  aged  brethren,  and  how  fondly 
should  we  cherish  those  recollections  of  their  heroic 
achievements  in  the  cause  of  their  Lord,  which  endear 
them  to  us ! 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1827,  while  on  the  Piqua  cir- 
cuit, at  the  house  of  his  friend  and  brother,  Mr.  French, 
he  was  called  to  yield  up  his  spirit  into  the  hands  of 
God.  We  visited  him  a  day  or  two  before  his  death,  and 
although  his  sufferings  were  intense,  yet  he  had  great 
peace  in  believing.  His  faith  enabled  him  to  behold  the 
land  that  was  afar  off,  and  to  rejoice  in  the  sight  of  his 
distant  heavenly  home.  He  was  frequently  heard  to  say, 
"I  am  nearing  my  home.  My  last  battle  is  fought,  and 
the  victory  sure  !  Halleluiah  !  My  Savior  reigneth  over 
heaven  and  earth  most  glorious  !  Praise  the  Lord !"  On 
my  second  visit  we  were  accompanied  by  Colonel  William 
M'Lean,  one  of  his  warm,  personal  friends.  We  found 
him  very  happy,  just  on  the  verge  of  heaven.  When 
on  rising  to  leave,  we  took  his  hand,  and  bade  him 
farewell.  He  said,  "  My  son,  be  faithful,  and  you  shall 
have  a  crown  of  life."  We  left  the  dying  herald  of  the 
cross  strong  in  faith,  giving  glory  to  God  for  a  relig- 
ion that 

"  Can  make  a  dying  bed 
Feel  soft  as  downy  pillows  are, 
While  on  his  breast  he  leaned  his  bead, 
And  breathed  his  life  out  sweetly  there." 

Worn  down  with  the  toils  and  sufferings,  as  the  neces- 
sary and  always  concomitant  attendants  of  an  itinerant 


WKBTEIiN    MKTHODI81I. 

life,  he  was  ready  and  prepared  to  enter  into  the  rest  of 
heaven. 

"  Serrant  of  God,  veil  done, 

Rest  from  thy  lored  employ ; 
The  battle's  fought,  the  vict'ry  won, 
Enter  thy  Master's  joy." 

Brother  Sale  was  ahout  five  feet  ten  inches  high,  of 
great  symmetry  of  form,  dignified  and  courteous  in  his 
manners.  He  had  a  dark  eye,  which,  when  lighted  up 
with  the  Gospel  themes,  would  flash  its  fires  of  holy  pas- 
sion, and  melt  at  the  recital  of  a  Savior's  love.  But  he 
has  gone  where  anxiety,  and  toil,  and  tears  come  not. 

Brother  Sale  was  not  a  very  vehement  speaker,  and  yet 
he  was  far  from  being  dry  or  uninteresting.  He  indulged 
very  little  in  declamation,  his  chief  aim  being  to  preach 
the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  enforcing  the  practice 
thereof;  so  that  while  his  hearers  were  thoroughly  indoc- 
trinated in  regard  to  all  matters  of  belief,  they  were 
urged  to  the  performance  of  all  duties,  and  thus  a  life  in 
the  soul  was  produced  which  fitted  them  for  heaven.  No 
one  excelled  him  in  the  judicious  administration  of  dis- 
cipline and  the  government  of  the  Church.  We  never 
knew  a  better  manager.  He  seemed  to  govern  without 
design,  and  so  thoroughly  did  he  acquaint  himself  with 
the  disposition  and  temperament  of  men,  that  all  yielded 
to  his  advice  and  direction  without  feeling  themselves 
under  any  constraint.  He  was  a  great  favorite  of  Bishop 
Asbury,  and  was,  when  able  to  attend,  elected,  from  time 
to  time,  as  a  delegate  to  the  General  conference.  After 
marrying  he  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  Xenia,  at  a 
place  called  Union,  one  of  the  early  strongholds  of  our 
western  Zion.  His  family  of  sons  and  daughters  em- 
braced religion  in  early  life.  One  of  his  sons  is  now  a 
traveling  preacher  in  Indiana,  and  we  trust  is  following 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  father.  His  pious  and  venerable 


192  SKETCHES  OF 

consort  still  lives,  full  of  faith  and  good  works,  waiting 
•with  patience  for  the  hour  to  arrive  when  her  divine  Lord 
shall  call  her  to  mingle  with  the  departed  in  the  world  of 
bliss. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  193 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THX    FIRST    METHODIST    CHURCHES    IN    OHIO. 


have  already  given  a  description  of  the  "Old 
Stone,"  in  Cincinnati;  but  before  its  day  there  were  here 
and  there  scattered  over  the  state,  in  different  places, 
round  and  hewed-log,  and  frame  churches,  which  had 
been  erected  and  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God. 
Though  rude  they  answered  the  purpose  for  which  they 
were  erected,  and  were  suited  to  the  times.  Some  of 
these  yet  stand  as  mementos  of  the  past;  and  though 
they  may  be  unoccupied,  or  devoted  to  other  purposes,  or 
have  fallen  into  decay,  and  no  longer  resound  with  the 
clear,  full  voice  of  the  early  pioneer  itinerant,  or  echo 
the  sound  of  praise  and  prayer,  still  their  memory  is  pre- 
cious, and  a  thousand  hallowed  associations  gather  around 
their  fallen  timbers  and  dilapidated  walls.  Could  histo- 
ries of  all  these  early  churches  be  written  by  some  master 
hand,  what  thrilling  memories  would  come  up  from  the 
forgotten  past,  as  the  hallowed  scenes  of  other  days  would 
crowd  upon  the  vision.  Our  fathers  are  gone.  Only 
here  and  there,  like  the  rude  churches  they  occupied, 
are  they  left.  As  the  trees  of  the  mighty  forest  they 
have  fallen  around  us,  and  every  year  witnesses  their 
departure  from  our  midst. 

In  the  Advocate  of  1840  the  reader  will  find  the  fol- 

lowing from  the  pen  of  the  Rev.   H.   Smith,  a  western 

pioneer,  whose  letter  to  the  Historical  Society  is  not  only 

descriptive  of  early  times  in  Ohio,  but  shows  the  difficul- 

17 


194  SKETCHES   OF 

ties  the  first  preachers  had  to  encounter  in  getting  con- 
gregations and  places  to  preach.  It  was  written  to  Mr. 
Samuel  Williams,  the  Secretary  of  said  Society;  and 
among  the  interesting  items  which  it  contains  the  reader 
will  find  an  allusion  to  a  log  meeting-house,  on  Scioto 
Brush  creek,  supposed  by  him  to  have  been  the  first 
Methodist  church  in  the  North- Western  territory: 

"As  I  have  been  solicited  by  several  of  my  brethren, 
in  the  west,  to  write  something  for  your  society,  I  ven- 
tured to  make  a  beginning  in  a  letter  to  my  old  friend, 
the  Kev.  William  Burke,  about  the  first  of  August.  I 
do  not  know  whether  it  was  received,  or  how  disposed  of, 
if  received,  as  I  have  had  no  Western  Christian  Advo- 
cate from  the  17th  of  July  to  the  28th  of  August.  What 
I  do  in  this  way  I  must  do  quickly.  I  am  the  more  en- 
couraged to  write  as  your  Society  gives  great  latitude,  and 
seems  to  be  disposed  to  exercise  indulgence. 

"  Lewis  Hunt,  a  young  man,  traveled  Miami  circuit  in 
1799 ;  but  we  had  heard  that  he  was  broken  down,  and  I 
was  sent  to  take  his  place.  On  the  15th  of  September  I 
set  out,  in  company  with  b.rother  Francis  M'Cormiok,  to 
meet  brother  Hunt,  on  31ad  river.  We  met  him  at 
brother  Hamer's,  and  found  him  so  far  recovered  as  to  be 
able  to  go  on  in  his  work.  My  instructions  were,  that  if 
he  should  be  able  to  continue  in  the  work,  to  go  up  the 
Scioto,  and  form  a  circuit  there.  We  consulted  our 
friends,  and  formed  a  plan,  uniting  Scioto  to  Miami, 
making  a  six  weeks'  circuit.  This  plan  was,  however, 
abandoned,  on  account  of  the  great  distance  between  the 
two  circuits,  and  the  dismal  swamp  we  would  have  to  pass 
through  every  round. 

"On  the  18th  of  September  I  left  brother  Hunt,  and 
returned  to  brother  M'Cormick's,  and  on  Sunday,  the 
22d,  I,  for  the  first  time,  heard  the  Kev.  Philip  Gatch 
preach.  He  was  truly  a  very  fine  sample  of  primitive 


WfcbTEUN   METHODIbM.  195 

Methodist  preachers,  simple,  plain,  and  powerful;  hia 
reliance  for  success  appeared  to  be  wholly  upon  power 
from  above.  I  found  him  a  meek-spirited,  agreeable  old 
mail,  always  willing  to  give  counsel  when  asked,  but  never 
intruding.  But  the  old  veteran  has  gone  to  his  reward, 
and  I  trust  his  praise  is  still  in  the  Churches  in  the  west. 
1  had  the  pleasure  of  giving  an  exhortation  after  the 
good  old  man,  and  the  Lord  was  with  us  indeed,  in  pub- 
lic and  in  class  meeting.  Some  were  much  refreshed, 
and  my  own  soul  among  the  rest. 

''Monday,  23d.  I  was  unwell,  but  rode  about  ten 
miles  toward  my  new  field  of  labor,  and  lodged  with  a 
poor  but  pious  Methodist  family. 

"  Tuesday,  24th.  I  pursued  my  journey  up  the  Ohio 
river,  and  put  up  with  James  Sargent,  an  old  Methodist 
friend  from  Maryland,  who  received  and  treated  me  with 
all  the  kindness  of  an  old  Maryland  Methodist.  Here  I 
left  two  appointments  for  my  next  round. 

"Wednesday,  25th.  I  still  pursued  my  course  up  the 
Ohio  river,  but  had  a  very  intricate  path,  and,  indeed, 
sometimes  none  at  all ;  but  by  the  good  hand  of  the  Lord 
upon  me,  the  evening  brought  me  to  the  house  of  a  kind 
Presbyterian  family.  We  spent  the  evening  in  conversa- 
tion on  religious  subjects.  The  old  gentleman  asked  me 
to  pray  with  them  in  the  evening,  and  again  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  pressingly  invited  me  to  call  again  whenever  I 
came  that  way.  I  thanked  them  for  their  hospitality,  but 
never  had  another  opportunity  of  calling  upon  them. 

"Thursday,  26th.  I  left  this  kind  family  at  the  mouth 
of  lied  Oak,  and  started  for  Eagle  creek,  and  began  to 
inquire  for  Methodists,  but  could  hear  of  none.  I  took 
up  Eagle  creek,  and  being  directed  to  a  family  where  I 
could  get  some  information,  I  rode  up  to  the  house,  and 
asked  the  good  man  of  the  house  if  he  could  tell  me 
where  any  of  the  people  called  Methodists  lived.  He 


196  SKETCHES    OF 

said  he  could  give  me  no  information.  But  his  wife 
formerly  belonged  to  the  society,  and  invited  me  to  alight 
and  come  in.  I  did  so;  and  while  my  horse  was  eating, 
I  told  them  who  I  was,  and  my  business.  I  entered  into 
conversation  about  spiritual  things,  and  requested  the 
man  to  call  his  family  together,  and  I  prayed  with  and 
for  them,  and  was  much  drawn  out.  I  gave  them  a  short 
exhortation,  and  left  them  all  in  tears.  I  rode  about 
eight  or  nine  miles,  and  inquired  for  Methodists  again, 
and  was  directed  to  a  poor  man's  cabin.  I  found  him 
and  his  wife  Jane  in  the  cornfield.  I  called  to  him,  and 
inquired  if  he  could  tell  me  where  I  could  find  any  of 
the  people  called  Methodists.  He  leaped  over  the  fence, 
ran  to  me,  and  took  me  by  the  hand  with  all  the  cordial- 
ity of  a  true  Irishman.  I  told  him  my  name  and  busi- 
ness, and  he  received  me  with  every  expression  of  joy, 
called  to  Jane,  and  conducted  me  in  triumph  to  the 
cabin.  Jane  came  out  of  the  field  in  cornfield  habili- 
ments, it  is  true;  but  she  soon  washed  and  changed  her 
dress,  and  appeared  to  make  me  as  welcome  to  their  cabin 
as  her  husband.  Such  a  reception  was  worth  a  day's 
ride.  If  I  was  but  poorly  qualified  for  a  missionary  in 
every  other  respect,  I  was  not  in  one  thing;  for  I  had 
long  since  conquered  my  foolish  prejudice  and  delicacy 
about  eating,  drinking,  and  lodging.  I  could  submit  to 
any  kind  of  inconvenience  where  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  doing  good,  for  I  thought  myself  honored  in  being 
permitted  to  labor  in  any  part  of  the  Lord's  vineyard. 
My  call  was  among  the  poor,  and  among  them  I  could 
feel  myself  at  home.  Jane  gave  me  something  to  eat, 
and  we  ate  our  morsel  with  gladness,  and  talked  about 
Jesus.  In  time  of  family  prayer  the  melting  power  of 
God  came  down  and  filled  the  place  with  glory.  The 
merciful  people  had  taken  their  poor  horse  in  with  them 
the  previous  winter,  and  of  course  it  could  not  be  very 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  197 

agreeable;  but  poor  Jane  brought  out  of  her  chest  as 
clean  -white  sheets  as  ever  came  from  Ireland,  and  spread 
them  on  my  bed,  and  I  slept  sweetly,  and  arose  refreshed. 
Here  I  was  informed  there  were  four  or  five  Methodist 
families  still  higher  up  the  creek,  who  had  formed  them- 
selves into  a  society,  and  met  on  Sundays  for  prayer  and 
class  meeting. 

"  Friday,  27th.  I  rode  to  old  brother  John  Foster's, 
and  the  dear  family  received  me  with  open  arms,  and 
sent  out  word  to  their  neighbors,  and  I  preached  on  Sat- 
urday the  28th,  to  about  eighteen  or  twenty  persons  with 
a  degree  of  life,  and  the  word  seemed  to  find  way  to  their 
hearts. 

"Sunday,  29th.  I  preached  at  Peter  Rankin's,  four 
miles  down  the  creek,  to  a  small  but  very  attentive  con- 
gregation— this  was  the  place  where  the  small  society 
met — and  the  poor  starving  sheep  fed  freely  upon  the 
word  of  life. 

Monday,  30th.  I  rode  to  a  brother  Wormsley's,  on 
Ohio  Brush  creek.  With  this  family  I  had  been 
acquainted  in  Kentucky,  and  we  had  an  unexpected  but 
joyful  meeting.  In  family  worship  the  Lord  was  present 
in  power,  the  dear  family  were  melted  into  tears,  and  the 
room  appeared  to  be  filled  with  glory  and  with  God.  We 
sang  and  talked  about  Jesus,  and  shouted  aloud  for  joy. 
And  who  would  not  shout  for  such  an  unexpected,  but 
seasonable  visitation  of  mercy  ?  Word  was  sent  out,  and 
preaching  appointed  at  William  Bushill's. 

Tuesday,  31st.  I  attended,  our  congregation  was  small, 
the  country  was  sparsely  settled,  and  the  notice  short.  1 
stood  up  among  them,  and  cried,  'I  Am  hath  sent  me 
unto  you/  Some  poor  sinners  were  deeply  affected,  and 
seemed  to  feel  as  if  the  Lord  had  sent  me  to  them,  and 
the  Lord's  poor  mourning  children  had  no  doubt  of  it. 
0,  it  was  worth  while  to  suffer  a  little  to  meet  with  such 

17* 


198  SKETCHES    01" 

a  scene,  and  such  a  reception !  Here  a  society  was  al- 
ready formed  by  Joseph  Moore,  from  Scioto  Brush  creek ; 
and  Simon  Frilds  was  their  leader. 

"  Wednesday.  October  1st.  I  rode  to  Joseph  Moore's, 
Scioto  Brush  creek.  Here  I  found  a  considerable  so- 
ciety already  organized  by  brother  Moore.  Here  I  had 
some  success,  and  the  society  increased,  so  that  on  the 
sixth  of  August,  1800,  we  proposed  building  a  meeting- 
house; for  no  private  house  would  hold  our  week-day  con- 
gregation. But  we  met  with  some  opposition,  for  some 
wanted  a  free  house.  But  as  no  one  seemed  to  care  '  for 
their  souls '  but  the  Methodists,  it  appeared  to  me  like 
foolishness  to  build  a  house  for  other  denominations,  be- 
fore they  came  and  wanted  a  house.  We,  however, 
succeeded  in  building  a  small  log-house,  but  then 
large  enough  for  the  neighborhood,  the  first  Methodist 
meeting-house  on  the  circuit,  and  perhaps  the  first  in  the 
North- Western  territory.  I  did  not  stop  to  preach  here 
on  my  first  visit,  but  left  an  appointment  for  my  next, 
and  pressed  onward  toward  Pee  Pee,  on  the  Scioto. 

"  Friday  morning,  4th.  I  rode  through  a  heavy  rain 
to  Pee  Pee,  and  called  at  the  house  of  Snowden  Sargent, 
a  kind-hearted  old  Methodist  from  Maryland.  I  was  wet, 
hungry,  and  brought  plenty  of  company  with  me,  from  a 
boar-skin,  my  bed  the  night  before.  I  introduced  my- 
self, and  met  with  a  cordial  reception  by  a  very  kind 
family. 

"Saturday,  5th.  I  rested  and  refitted;  and  truly  rest 
was  needful,  as  well  as  desirable.  Here  I  met  with  sev- 
eral friends  with  whom  I  had  been  acquainted,  and  among 
them  the  Rev.  William  Talbott,  who  had  preached  at  my 
father's  when  he  first  began  to  itinerate.  But  his  zeal 
and  excessive  labors  soon  broke  him  down,  and  he  retired 
from  the  itinerancy,  and  tried  to  provide  for  himself  and 
rising  family.  He,  however,  preached  occasionally.  I 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  199 

heard  him  preach  afterward  at  our  quarterly  meeting,  at 
Pee  Pee,  with  divine  unction. 

"Sunday,  October  6th.  I  preached  for  the  first  time  at 
Pee  Pee.  All  were  very  attentive,  and  some  felt  the 
word.  After  preaching  I  called  together  a  few  who  had 
been  in  society  in  various  places,  and  organized  a  class, 
and  the  Lord  was  truly  among  us.  One  shouted  aloud, 
and  the  most  of  the  professors  appeared  19  be  much 
quickened.  In  those  days  I  was  always  at  home  in  a 
class  meeting,  and  if  I  did  not  succeed  in  public  I  was 
almost  sure  to  come  out  in  class.  I  preached  again  at 
night;  the  people  were  all  attention.  I  lodged  with  my 
friend  Talbott.  0,  how  ought  those  to  be  esteemed  who 
have  sacrificed  their  health,  and  almost  their  lives,  in  the 
cause  of  God !  but  this  is  not  always  the  case,  for  some 
end  their  days  in  obscurity  and  poverty." 

We  have  before  us  also  a  communication  from  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Methodism  in  Ohio — the  Rev.  John 
Meek — which  will  furnish  the  reader  an  account  of  some 
of  the  first  meeting-houses  of  his  day.  These  reminis- 
cences of  olden  time  are  not  only  interesting  in  them- 
selves, but  they  serve  to  show  how  small  and  seemingly 
insignificant  were  the  beginnings  of  Methodism  in  this 
western  valley,  and  what  astonishing  progress  has  been 
made  in  the  increase  of  membership,  and  the  building 
of  churches  all  over  the  land : 

"  In  the  year  1805,  when  the  Miami  Valley,  from  Cin- 
cinnati to  the  settlement  two  miles  from  the  spot  of 
ground  where  the  beautiful  town  of  Urbana  is  built,  ex- 
tending and  spreading  from  the  Big  Miami  river  to  White- 
oak  creek,  into  what  is  now  called  Brown  county,  at  brother 
Davis's,  near  where  Georgetown  is  now  growing,  I  was 
appointed  to  that  circuit.  The  above  territory  was  my 
field  of  labor  in  that  year — 1805 — which  was  the  year 
alluded  to  by  brother  Simmons,  in  which  Hopewell  meet- 


200  SKETCHES    OF 

inf-honse  was  built,  at  the  dedication  of  which  the  small 

o  ' 

Church  in  that  part  of  the  wilderness  was  blessed  by  the 
labors  of  our  beloved  M'Kendree,  of  precious  memory, 
and  brother  William  Burke,  who  was  then  presiding 
elder  of  the  Ohio  district,  together  with  brothers  Amos 
and  Patterson.  I  believe  brother  Burke  preached  from 
2  Corinthians  iii,  18  :  'But  we  all  with  open  face/  etc.; 
and  brother  M'Kendree  followed  with,  'Now  the  Lord  is 
that  Spirit,  and  where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  there  is 
liberty' — 17th  verse.  The  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
appeared  to  be  upon  them;  'the  power  of  God  was  present 
to  heal;'  the  slain  of  the  Lord  were  many;  the  cry  of 
the  wounded,  and  the  shout  of  them  that  were  made 
whole  'was  heard  afar  off;'  and,  blessed  be  God  !  I  expect 
to  meet  some  in  heaven  that  were  converted  to  God  at 
that  meeting.  I  will  here  say,  those  were  the  happiest 
days  of  my  life — log-cabins  to  preach  in,  puncheon  floors 
to  sleep  on,  long  rides,  corn-bread  and  milk  to  eat,  a  con- 
stant succession  of  kind  friends  to  make  welcome,  and 
the  love  of  God  in  the  soul,  a  home  high  up  in  heaven 
in  prospect,  and  the  blessed  promise  of,  '  Lo  I  am  with 
you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world/  gave  the 
mind  a  most  pleasing  variety,  and  caused  our  time  to 
move  on  most  agreeably.  But  where  have  I  wandered 
from  what  I  intended  when  I  sat  down  to  write  ? 

"  But  to  old  Hopewell  log  meeting-house.  I  will  say 
to  brother  Simmons's  inquiry,  a  log  meeting-house  was 
erected  in  West  Wheeling  circuit,  on  Indian  Short  creek, 
called  Holmes's  meeting-house,  some  time  in  the  year 
1803,  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  which  there 
followed  one  of  the  most  powerful  revivals  of  the  work 
of  God,  in  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  sinners  to 
God,  that  I  recollect  ever  to  have  witnessed;  and  I  think 
I  will  be  safe  in  saying,  that  from  the  time  that  Holmes's 
log  meeting-house  was  erected,  more  than  one  hundred 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  201 

souls  were  happily  converted  to  God,  and  on  their  way  to 
heaven,  ere  Hopewell  meeting-house,  of  which  my  be- 
loved Simmon^peaKS,  was  ever  thought  of.  And  io  the 
year  1804  there  was  a  log  meeting-house  commenced, 
raised,  and  covered  at  old  brother  Thomas  Odle's,  a  local 
preacher,  on  Eagle  creek,  in  Scioto  circuit,  though  it  was 
never  finished.  So  you  see  the  pioneers  of  the  Miami 
were  not  the  first  in  Ohio  to  build  meeting-houses." 


202  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

SAAIUEL    PARKER. 

THAT  eminent  servant  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whose 
name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  chapter,  in  consequence 
of  his  relation  to  the  west  and  the  labors  and  privations 
he  endured  in  planting  the  Gospel  from  the  Muskingum 
and  Ohio  to  the  Missouri  and  Mississippi,  deserves  a 
prominent  place  in  the  annals  of  western  Methodism. 
To  give  our  readers  a  sketch  of  his  laborious  and  useful 
life  is  the  object  of  this  chapter. 

Samuel  Parker  was  born  in  the  state  of  New  Jersey  in 
the  year  1774.  His  parents  were  religious,  and,  of 
course,  respectable.  Indeed,  none  need  wish  to  trace 
their  genealogy  to  a  higher  or  more  honorable  source;  for 
a  Christian  is  emphatically  "  the  highest  style  of  man," 
and  the  only  respect  of  persons  with  God  himself  is  that 
which  has  for  its  basis  a  religious  character.  Young 
Parker  was  early  put  to  a  trade,  that  he  might  learn,  by  a 
lawful  and  honorable  employment,  to  gain  a  respectable 
living  in  the  world.  It  is  said  he  possessed  a  remarkable 
natural  genius,  and  made  great  proficiency  in  the  me- 
chanic art  in  which  he  was  employed. 

The  most  remarkable  event  that  transpired  in  relation 
to  him,  in  the  days  of  his  youth,  was  his  conversion  to 
God,  and  the  sudden  abandonment  consequent  thereon 
of  his  wicked  practices  and  ungodly  associates.  Among 
the  young  and  frivolous,  in  scenes  of  mirth  and  revelry, 
his  presence  was  always  the  most  agreeable,  and  his  com- 
pany was  sought  for  on  all  occasions,  being  a  general 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  203 

favorite  among  all  classes.  He  had  a  voice  of  unusual 
sweetness  as  well  as  of  compass  and  power.  Added  to 
this  peculiar  gift,  as  a  child  of  song,  was  an  urbanity  of 
manners  and  a  suavity  of  disposition  that  prepossessed  ail 
hearts  in  his  favor.  When  he  joined  the  Church  and 
broke  up  his  old  and  wicked  associations,  of  course  his 
former  wicked  friends  forsook  him.  The  line  of  demark- 
ation  was  much  more  strongly  marked  between  the 
Church  and  the  world  then  than  at  the  present  time,  and 
professors  of  religion  were  distinguished  by  peculiarities 
which  made  them  known  and  read  of  all  men.  One  has 
said,  in  speaking  of  the  wonderful  similarity  between  the 
most  of  professors  of  religion  at  the  present  day  and  the 
world,  that  it  would  take  the  eye  of  an  angel  to  distin- 
guish them;  but  it  was  not  so  then.  A  profession  of 
religion  created  a  chasm  between  the  professor  and  the 
world,  which,  though  not  as  broad  and  deep  as  that  which 
separated  Abraham  from  Dives,  yet  was  impassable  to  all 
but  those  who  would  willingly  take  up  their  cross  and, 
despising  the  shame,  enroll  themselves  under  the  banner 
of  the  Prince  of  Life.  Young  Parker  had  deliberately 
crossed  over  to  the  Lord's  side,  and  was  ready,  having 
counted  the  cost,  to  "hail  reproach  and  welcome  shame" 
for  the  sake  of  Jesus  and  his  cause.  For  twelve  years  he 
continued  a  private  member  of  the  Church,  faithfully  de- 
voted to  all  her  interests,  and  ready  to  engage  in  any 
work  that  his  Master  might  assign  him.  There  was  one 
work,  however,  concerning  which  he  had  much  solicitude, 
and  that  was  the  fearfully-responsible  work  of  the  minis- 
try. During  all  this  time  he  was  greatly  exercised  in 
mind  in  regard  to  his  call.  He  would  not  rush  suddenly 
into  a  place  where  angels  are  not  permitted  to  enter,  nor 
would  he  shrink  from  a  responsibility  clearly  imposed, 
however  great.  He  wanted  full  proof  that  he  was  called 
of  frod  to  proclaim  salvation  to  hi*  dying  fellow-man,  and 


204  SKETCHES    OF 

having  that  he  was  ready  to  give  up  all  for  Christ,  and 
enter  whatever  field  of  labor  might  be  assigned  to  him. 

We  are  of  the  number  of  those  who  believe  that  there 
are  more  who  refuse  to  yield  to  this  divine  call  to  the 
ministry  than  of  those  who  presumptuously  rush  uncalled 
into  the  holy  place,  and  that  the  providence  of  God  has 
much  to  do,  not  only  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  one 
but  in  restraining  the  other.  Fully  impressed,  after  years 
of  conflict,  that  he  had  a  call  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and 
that  if  he  did  not  yield  the  Divine  displeasure  would  rest 
upon  him,  he  at  length  gave  himself  up  wholly  to  the 
Lord  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  in  the  year  1800 
was  duly  licensed  as  a  local  preacher  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  While  he  continued  in  this  relation 
he  exercised  his  gifts  at  every  opportunity,  and  engaged 
in  a  course  of  preparatory  study,  the  more  effectually  to 
prepare  himself  for  usefulness,  should  Providence  open 
his  way  into  the  itinerant  field.  During  this  time  he 
made  rapid  progress  in  literary  and  theological  knowl- 
edge, and  was  thus  enabled,  in  the  year  1805,  to  enter 
the  itinerant  ranks  with  advantages  of  literary  and  theo- 
logical training  vastly  superior  to  many  of  his  cotempo- 
raries.  His,  however,  was  not  that  knowledge  that  puff- 
eth  up.  He  brought  all  his  literature,  and  science,  and 
theology  to  the  foot  of  the  cross,  and  there  had  his 
attainments  and  himself  baptized  with  the  meek  and 
holy  spirit  of  his  Master.  He  was  received  on  trial,  as  a 
traveling  preacher,  in  the  Western  conference,  held  at 
Mt.  Gerizim,  Kentucky,  in  the  fall  of  the  year  above 
specified,  and  was  appointed  to  Hinkston  circuit,  where 
he  remained  traveling  from  appointment  to  appointment, 
doing  the  work  of  an  evangelist  and  striving  to  make  full 
proof  of  his  ministry.  In  the  year  1806  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Lexington  circuit,  and  the  year  following 
to  Limestone  circuit,  both  in  the  state  of  Kentucky.  In 


WE8TEBN    METHODISM.  205 

1808  he  was  appointed  to  the  Miami  circuit,  in  the  state 
of  Ohio,  Cincinnati  being  one  of  the  appointments.  On 
this  circuit  he  was  the  messenger  of  glad  tidings  to  many 
a  despairing  sinner.  Multitudes  were  awakened  and  con  • 
verted  to  God  through  his  instrumentality,  and  through- 
out the  Miami  Valley  there  are  many  who  were  brought 
into  the  kingdom  of  grace  through  his  instrumentality, 
and  yet  stand  living  witnesses  for  Christ  and  the  power 
of  the  Gospel  to  save. 

We  have  already  remarked  that  brother  Parker  pos- 
sessed a  voice  of  unusual  melody,  and  was  excelled  by 
few,  if  any,  in  the  power  of  song.  Many  were  attracted 
to  the  Church  to  listen  to  the  divine  strains  which  he 
would  pour  forth  upon  his  enraptured  and  weeping  au- 
diences. He  was  not  only  gifted  with  a  remarkable  voice, 
but  he  had  brought  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
and  it  was  mid  he  was  a  perfect  master  of  music.  We 
were  told  by  Bishop  M'Kendree  that  when  he  was  on  the 
Hinlcston  circuit,  at  one  of  brother  Parker's  quarterly 
meetings,  he  mentioned  to  him  a  tune  which  he  had 
heard  in  the  southern  part  of  Kentucky  that  so  interested 
and  thrilled  him,  that  it  had  been  sounding  in  his  mind 
ever  since.  The  Bishop  was  deprived,  like  many  others, 
of  the  wonderful  gift  of  song,  though  he  had  an  exqui- 
site ear  for  music,  and  was  said  to  be  a  connoisseur. 
Brother  Parker  told  him  he  thought  he  could  produce  it, 
and  for  this  purpose  they  both  retired  to  the  woods.  The 
plan  for  its  production,  or,  rather,  reproduction,  was  this. 
The  preacher  sounded  the  various  notes,  and  the  Bishop 
would  tell  him  when  a  note  accorded  with  the  tune. 
Thus  he  continued  till  he  had  written  every  note  of  tho 
entire  piece.  The  time  for  preaching  having  arrived 
they  went  into  the  congregation,  and  to  the  utter  aston- 
ishment of  the  Bishop  the  tune  was  sung  to  appropriate 
words,  but  with  a  melody  and  a  power,  which  not  only 

18 


206  SKETCHES  OF 

affected    the   Bishop,   but   the  whole   congregation,   to 
tears. 

But  his  musical  powers  were  not  all,  though  to  hear 
him  would  remind  one  of  the  melody  of  heaven  j  he  had 
an  eloquence  and  power  in  the  pulpit  that  were  irresisti- 
ble, and  wherever  he  went  wondering  and  weeping  audi- 
ences crowded  to  hear  him.  Many  came  a  great  distance 
to  listen  to  him,  so  wide-spread  was  his  fame  as  a  pulpit 
orator.  On  one  occasion  an  aged  and  very  pious  German 
brother  came  a  considerable  distance  to  hear  him.  When 
he  arrived  the  preacher  had  taken  his  text  and  was  mak- 
ing his  introduction.  The  old  brother  took  his  seat  and 
listened  to  the  slow  and  measured  words  of  the  preacher, 
as  he  proceeded  to  advance  his  propositions.  Not  being 
able  to  discover  any  thing  extraordinary,  either  in  the 
matter  or  manner  of  the  preacher,  the  honest  old  German 
would  drop  his  head,  giving  it  a  significant  shake,  and 
say  to  himself,  "Dis  bees  not  Barker:  dis  be  not  him 
surely."  After  he  had  progressed  some  time  in  his  dis- 
course, and  began  to  warm  up  a  little  with  his  theme,  and 
occasionally  flash  out  a  bright  and  beautiful  thought,  the 
Dutchman,  with  a  meditative  look,  and  head  a  little  in- 
clined, would  say,  "  May  be  dis  is  Barker."  The  preacher 
at  length  got  fairly  under  way;  his  soul  was  on  fire,  and 
impassioned  strains  of  eloquence,  like  full  bursts  of  glory 
from  the  upper  sanctuary,  fell  upon  the  rapt  multitude. 
The  old  German  rose  to  his  feet,  and  was  moving  uncon- 
sciously forward,  charmed  with  the  eloquence  of  the 
preacher.  He  was  lost  to  all  surrounding  objects,  and 
lost  to  himself;  for  so  intently  was  his  attention  fixed 
that  he  dropped  his  hat.  When  the  preacher  closed,  the 
old  man  was  at  the  altar,  as  near  as  he  could  get  to  the 
pulpit,  and,  drawing  a  long  breath,  he  turned  round,  ex- 
claiming, in  a  loud  voice,  "Mine  Got,  vot  an  outcome  dis 
Barker  has  got!" 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  207 

It  is  related  of  this  old  German  brother,  that  being  in 
court  one  time  when  a  young  lawyer,  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  was  pleading  most  eloquently  and  feel- 
ingly the  case  of  a  poor,  unfortunate  girl,  so  much  so 
that  the  judges  and  jury  alike  began  to  shed  tears,  he 
rose  from  his  seat  and  exclaimed,  ".Mine  Got,  send  more 
power;  send  more  power  to  these  sinners'  hearts!"  The 
good  old  man  imagined  that  they  were  awakened  by  the 
exhortation  of  the  Methodist  lawyer,  and  that  they  would 
soon  all  be  at  the  mourner's  bench  crying  for  mercy. 

At  the  conference  which  was  held  in  the  year  1809, 
brother  Parker  was  elected  and  ordained  to  the  office  of 
an  elder  in  the  Church.  Haying  used  the  office  of  a 
deacon  well,  and  having  obtained  a  good  degree  and  great 
boldness  in  the  cause  of  his  Master,  and  having  given 
full  proof  of  his  efficiency  as  a  minister,  he  was  deemed 
worthy  of  promotion  to  the  more  responsible,  but  yet 
more  arduous  office  of  a  presiding  elder.  His  district 
embraced  the  whole  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  and  the 
states  of  Illinois  and  Missouri.  For  vastnesa  of  territory, 
and  for  the  amount  of  labor  required  to  travel  it,  we 
think  this  must  have  been  the  banner  district  of  those 
times.  Notwithstanding  the  extent  of  the  field,  the 
amount  of  labor  necessary  to  be  expended  in  its  cultiva- 
tion, Parker's  zeal  and  enterprise  were  adequate  to  the 
great  undertaking.  Buckling  on  the  harness,  if  possible, 
with  a  steadier  nerve  and  greater  firmness  of  purpose,  he 
turned  his  face  toward  the  setting  sun,  and  was  soon  lost 
to  sight  in  the  depths  of  the  wilderness  on  the  errand  of 
his  Master.  In  traversing  this  vast  wilderness  of  woods, 
prairies,  swamps,  and  rivers,  inhabited  principally  by 
savage  men  and  beasts  of  prey,  exposed  to  the  northern 
blasts  of  winter  and  the  scorching  heats  of  summer,  God 
was  with  him.  In  the  rude  log-cabins  of  the  west  he 
found  hard  fare,  but  harder  still  when  no  cabin  opened 


208 

its  friendly  door,  and  he  had  to  lie  down  supperless 
among  the  leaves  of  the  wood,  or  the  grass  of  the  prai- 
ries, and  not  unfrequently  upon  the  snow,  with  nothing 
but  heaven's  canopy  for  his  covering.  From  the  White- 
water, in  Indiana,  to  the  farthest  settler  in  Missouri,  did 
this  faithful  herald  of  the  cross  go  to  proclaim  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  For  four 
years  did  the  indefatigable  Parker  cultivate  this  vast 
field,  and  with  such  success  "so  mightily  grew  the  word 
of  God  and  prevailed,"  that  it  was  necessary,  at  the  expi- 
ration of  this  period,  to  divide  the  district,  and  call  more 
laborers  into  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  When  he  en- 
tered upon  the  field  there  were  but  three  hundred  and 
eighty-two  members  in  all  its  bounds;  but  at  the  expira- 
tion of  four  years,  under  his  superintendence,  there  were 
upward  of  two  thousand. 

An  incident  occurred  at  the  conference  which  was  held 
in  Cincinnati,  in  1813,  which,  in  this  connection,  we  will 
relate.  There  being  no  church  on  Sabbath  large  enough 
to  hold  the  congregation,  or  rather  the  vast  crowds  which 
attended  upon  the  ministrations  of  the  occasion,  we  ad- 
journed to  the  Lower  Market  Space,  on  Lower  Market- 
street,  between  Sycamore  and  Broadway.  The  services 
commenced  at  11  o'clock.  The  Rev.  Learner  Blackman 
preached  from  the  third  petition  of  the  Lord's  prayer : 
"Thy  kingdom  come."  He  was  followed  by  brother  Par- 
ker with  a  sermon  on  the  fourth  petition  of  the  same 
prayer :  "  Thy  will  be  done."  After  he  had  concluded, 
brother  James  Ward  gave  an  exhortation  after  the  man- 
ner of  olden  time.  Then  followed  brother  John  Collins, 
who,  from  the  same  butcher's  block  whereon  the  preach- 
ers had  stood,  commenced,  with  a  soft  and  silvery  voice, 
to  sell  the  shambles — as  only  John  Collins  could — in  the 
market.  These  he  made  emblematic  of  a  full  salvation 
without  money  and  without  price.  It  was  not  long  till 


\VKSTEKN     METHODISM.  209 

the  vast  assembly  were  in  tears  at  the  melting,  moving 
strains  of  the  eloquent  preacher.  On  invitation  a  large 
number  came  forward,  and  kneeled  down  for  an  interest  in 
the  prayers  of  God's  people.  We  joined  with  them,  and 
other  ministers  who  were  present,  heartily  in  the  work, 
and  before  that  meeting  closed  in  the  market-house, 
many  souls  were  happily  converted  to  God. 

This  year  brother  Parker  was  appointed  to  labor  on  the 
Deer  Creek  circuit,  which  included  all  the  settlements  on 
that  stream,  as  well  as  those  on  Darby,  Scioto,  and  the 
North  Fork  of  Paint  creek,  extending  to  Chill icothc,  then 
the  metropolis  of  the  state.  In  this  less  extensive  but 
still  laborious  field,  his  efforts  to  advance  the  kingdom  of 
his  Lord  were  wonderfully  blessed.  It  was  in  the  palmy 
days  of  camp  meetings,  before  such  meetings  had  lost 
their  sheen  and  power,  and  the  region  where  he  labored 
was  blessed  with  these  annual  seasons  of  religious  inter- 
est. One  of  the  most  powerful  camp  meetings  ever  held 
in  the  west  was  in  the  bounds  of  this  circuit,  at  White 
Brown's,  on  Deer  creek.  Here  were  collected  the  thou- 
sands of  our  Israel  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  while 
the  ministry  was  represented  by  the  best  talent  in  the 
Western  conference.  Among  the  preachers  present  on 

this  occasion  were  John  Collins,  J.  Quiau.  Alexander 

''W*^"^ 
Cummins,  R.  W.  Finley,  Heliums,  Strange,  Crume,  and 

others.  While  one  after  another  of  these  pioneer  preach- 
ers would  hold  forth  the  word  of  life  to  listening,  atten- 
tive thousands,  the  Spirit  would  apply  the  truth  with 
demonstrative  power  to  the  heart,  and  hundreds  were 
awakened  and  converted  to  God.  Many  that  came  out 
of  an  idle  curiosity  had  an  interest  awakened  in  their 
hearts,  to  them  before  unknown,  while  many  who  came 
to  curse  and  oppose  the  cause  of  God,  remained  to  pray 
and  unite  with  the  faithful  in  carrying  it  on.  It  was  a 
time  long  to  be  remembered,  and  hundreds  on  earth  and 

18* 


210  SKETCHES    OF 

in  heaven  -will  call  to  remembrance,  with  grateful  emo- 
tions, the  hallowed  scenes  and  associations  at  the  Deer 
Creek  camp  meeting. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1813  the  conference  was  held 
at  Steubenville,  Ohio.  From  this  conference  brother 
Parker  received  his  appointment  to  the  Miami  district, 
which  at  that  time  embraced  all  the  country  lying  be- 
tween the  Ohio  river  and  the  Olentangy,  and  the  Scioto 
and  Great  Miami.  His  labors  on  this  field  were  arduous, 
but  successful.  A  zeal  for  the  cause  of  God,  fed  with 
an  unquenchable  fire  from  off  God's  altar,  urged  him  on, 
and  nothing  could  stop  him  in  his  burning  course  around 
his  district.  Many,  in  the  day  of  eternity,  will  thank 
God  for  sending  the  messages  of  mercy  through  so  elo- 
quent and  faithful  a  herald. 

The  next  year,  which  was  1815,  he  was  removed  from 
the  Miami  district,  and  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the 
Kentucky  district.  He  remained  in  this  field  of  labor 
four  consecutive  years,  during  all  which  time  he  was  in 
labors  more  abundant.  He  was  universally  beloved  on 
the  district,  both  by  the  preachers  and  people,  and  his 
labors  were  crowned  with  great  success.  He  had  now 
reached  life's  prime,  being  in  the  forty-fifth  year  of  hia 
age :  and  deeming  it  prudent  to  change  his  relation  in 
life  by  taking  to  himself  a  companion,  he  accordingly 
sought  and  obtained  the  hand  of  Miss  Alethia  Tilton, 
the  daughter  of  a  venerable  and  useful  local  preacher  of 
that  name,  who  proved  a  most  worthy  and  suitable  part- 
ner for  a  Methodist  itinerant,  in  those  days  of  privation 
and  hardship.  This  worthy  lady  enjoyed  his  society 
long  enough  to  be  sensible  of  the  melancholy  fact  that 
there  is  no  affliction  incident  to  suffering  humanity  so 
exquisite  as  the  loss  of  a  companion,  who  united  all  the 
endearing  qualities  that  nature  and  grace  can  combine  in 
the  person  of  a  husband. 


WE8TEKN    METHODISM.  211 

We  come  now  to  the  most  interesting,  because  the 
most  trying,  period  in  the  history  of  our  departed  broth- 
er's life;  one  which  not  only  served  to  develop  his 
character  even  more  fully  than  it  yet  had  been  developed; 
but  which  presents  the  Church  and  the  world  an  exam- 
ple of  moral  heroism  as  worthy  of  imitation  as  it  is  of 
praise. 

At  the  conference  which  was  held  in  Cincinnati  in  the 
summer  of  1819,  the  bishops  felt  the  utmost  solicitude  in 
regard  to  finding  a  man  of  the  requisite  qualifications  to 
fill  a  post  of  the  greatest  importance  in  the  Mississippi 
conference.     Before  them  were  ministers  from  all  parts 
of  the  great  western  field;  and  after  scanning  the  whole, 
they  found  in  the  person  of  Samuel  Parker  the  one  that, 
in  their  judgment,  was  admirably  adapted  for  the  work. 
His  experience  in  the  work,  and  above  all  his  command- 
ing talents,  fitted  him,  in  an  eminent  degree,   for  the 
occupancy  of  that  difficult  and  distant  field.     The  only 
thing  they  could  conceive  of  as  being  in  the  way  of  his 
appointment  was,  his  delicate  health,  and  that  his  wife 
must  be  torn  away  from  the  embrace  of  her  friends  to 
share  the  fate  and  fortunes  of  her  husband — a  stranger 
in  a  strange  land.      Besides  the  greatness  of  the  dis- 
tance and  his  feeble  health,  the  country  embraced  in  the 
field  was  regarded  as  quite  sickly.     When,  however,  the 
bishops  intimated  the  demands  which  the  Church,  in  the 
providence  of  God,  seemed  to  have  upon  his  labors  and 
sacrifices,  in  the  true  spirit  of  a  witness  for  Jesus,  if 
need  be,  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  he  was  ready  to  say,  in 
the  language  of  Paul,  "I  count  not  my  life  dear  unto  me, 
that  I  may  finish  my  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry 
which  I  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  tho 
Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God."     He  had  laid  all  upon  tho 
altar  of  his  Lord.     He  had  endured  hardness  as  a  good 
soldier,  and  it  was  no  time  now  for  him  to  take  back 


212  SKETCHES    OF 

the  offering,  or  to  hesitate  in  the  further  fulfillment  of 
the  vows  which  he  had  made  to  please  Him  who  had 
called  him  to  be  a  soldier.  Ready  for  every  position 
which  G-od,  in  his  providence,  might  assign  him,  he  said 
to  the  over-shepherds  of  the  Church,  "  Here  am  I,  send 
me." 

The  conference  closed,  and  when  it  was  announced  by 
the  presiding  bishop  that  he  was  appointed  presiding 
elder  of  the  Mississippi  district,  a  wave  of  sympathy 
rolled  over  the  entire  conference.  We  shall  never  forget 
the  parting  scene.  When  we  took  our  dear  Parker  by 
the  hand,  and  said,  "  Farewell,  beloved  brother,  till  we 
meet  again,"  we  felt  that  it  would  be  in  the  commun- 
ings  of  that  world, 

"  Where  no  farewell  words  are  spoken, 
And  no  farewell  tears  are  shed." 

It  seemed  as  though  we  were  all  engaged  in  the  solemni- 
ties of  a  sacrifice  where  the  victim  was  one  of  the  most 
lovely  and  talented  of  our  brotherhood. 

The  last  days  of  summer  were  tinting  with  golden 
hues  the  plains  of  the  sunny  south,  as  the  sweet-spirited 
Parker,  with  his  lovely  bride,  was  wending  his  way 
thither  in  the  name  of  his  Master.  He  had  left  his 
friends,  and  home,  and  kindred,  and  was  going  to  a  far- 
distant  land,  among  strangers,  to  labor  and  die.  The 
bishops  fondly  hoped  that  the  genial  winter-clime  of  the 
south  might  prove  beneficial  to  his  health ;  but,  alas ! 
how  often  has  it  proven  true,  that  where  one  invalid 
passes  the  process  of  acclimation,  and  becomes  convales- 
cent, many  die;  and  so  it  proved  in  this  case.  When  he 
arrived  at  his  destination,  enfeebled  and  worn  down  with 
fatigue,  his  disease  assumed,  in  a  short  time,  a  more  ma- 
lignant type,  so  that  in  November  the  most  fearful  appre- 
hensions were  excited  that  he  would  soon  be  called  to 
exchange  worlds.  He  never  performed  any  labor  on  his 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  213 

district,  and  the  only  advantage  resulting  from  his  emi- 
gration to  that  distant  and  difficult  post  was  the  lesson 
which  his  example  afforded,  and  the  spirit  and  peace 
in  which  a  Christian  can  suffer  and  die. 

Thus  ho  lingered  on  till  the  session  of  the  Missouri 
conference,  when  he  seemed  to  have  slightly  improved, 
and  hopes  were  entertained  by  some  that  he  might  re- 
cover; but  others,  better  acquainted  with  the  nature  of 
his  disease,  and  the  climate  to  which  it  was  subjected, 
knew  that  they  were  aa  fallacious  and  transient  as  the 
fading  hues  of  evening,  which  serve  only  to  light  the 
passage  of  departing  day.  Soon  after  conference  he 
relapsed  into  a  worse  state  than  before,  and  he  was  rap- 
idly brought  down  to  the  verge  of  the  grave.  In  all  these 
Bufferings  and  changes  through  which  he  passed,  this 
servant  of  the  Lord  was  enabled  to  say,  in  perfect  resig- 
nation, "  Father,  not  my  will  but  thine  be  done."  On 
the  sixth  of  December,  when  a  holy  quiet  was  reigning 
around,  disturbed  only  by  the  sobs  of  an  affectionate  wife, 
which  alone  prevented  one  from  thinking  that  the  cham- 
ber where  he  lay  was  quite  in  the  confines  of  heaven,  the 
talented,  faithful,  and  devoted  Parker  passed  away  to  the 
bosom  of  his  Savior  and  God. 

Before  his  departure  God  had  blessed  him  with  an 
infant  son,  but  the  little  one  did  not  long  survive.  It 
was  soon  called  to  join  its  father  in  the  blissful  realms 
of  the  blest.  The  Sabbath  after  his  decease  his  funeral 
sermon  was  preached,  at  Washington,  Mississippi,  by 
the  Rev.  William  Winans,  to  a  large  and  weeping  con- 
gregation. The  text  was  Revelations  xiv,  13  :  "  Blessed 
are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord;  yea,  saith  the  Spirit, 
that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  fol- 
low them." 

The  personal  appearance  of  brother  Parker  was  strik- 
ingly prepossessing.  He  was  about  five  feet  ten  or  eleven 


214:  SKETCHES    OF 

inches  high,  a  slender  but  well-made  form.  He  had  a 
fine  intellectual  cast  of  countenance,  expansive  fore- 
head, and  black,  piercing  eye.  He  was  one  of  the  finest 
speakers  we  ever  listened  to,  his  voice  being  exceedingly 
musical,  and  capable  of  the  softest,  sweetest  intonations. 
But  that  fine,  manly  form  is  mingled  with  the  dust,  and 
that  voice,  so  entrancing,  has  been  hushed  upon  earth 
forever.  A  volume  might  be  written  upon  the  labors  and 
sufferings,  aud  excellences  of  his  character;  but  as  we 
only  design  brief  sketches,  embracing  important  points 
in  the  lives  of  some  of  our  pioneer  Methodist  preachers, 
to  rescue  them  from  oblivion,  and  hold  up  their  example 
to  the  light  of  the  present  generation,  we  must  bring 
our  remarks,  however  reluctantly,  to  a  close. 


WESTKRN    METHODISM.  215 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

LEARNER    BLACKMAN. 
(*"  * 

THE  subject  of  our  present  sketch  was  born  in  the 
state  of  New  Jersey ;  but  in  regard  to  the  exact  date  of 
his  birth  we  have  no  opportunity  of  knowing.  He  was 
descended  from  pious  parents,  and  many  members  of  tho 
family,  at  different  periods  of  life,  became  religious. 
Our  acquaintance  with  brother  Blackman  commenced  in 
the  year  1808.  He  was  a  brother-in-law  of  the  Rev. 
John  Collins,  through  whose  instrumentality  he  was 
brought  into  the  kingdom  of  grace,  and  made  an  heir 
of  salvation.  The  personal  appearance  of  Blackman  was 
prepossessing,  and  impressed  one,  in  looking  upon  his 
tall,  slender  form,  and  dark,  flashing  eye,  that  he  had 
genius  and  eloquence ;  but  when  engaged  in  conversa- 
tion, the  brilliance  and  fascination  of  his  manners  would 
demonstrate  that  fact  in  a  remarkable  degree.  To  judge 
of  his  eloquence,  however,  he  must  be  heard ;  and  none 
who  were  permitted  to  listen  to  his  silvery  voice,  when 
engaged  in  description,  or  its  impassioned  strains  when 
in  declamation,  would  go  away  without  being  impressed 
with  his  power  over  the  heart.  He  may  have  taken  the 
pathetic  Collins  for  his  model  as  a  pulpit  orator.  Of 
this,  however,  we  can  not  speak  assuredly ;  but  whoever 
was  his  model,  or  whether  he  had  any  that  he  copied 
after,  one  thing  is  certain,  he  was  an  eloquent  divine. 

We  have  been  favored  with  a  description  of  western 
preachers  by  one  who  has  lived  to  witness  what  he  calls 
the  various  phases  through  which  the  pulpit  stylo  haa 


216  SKETCHES    OF 

passed  in  his  day.  Among  the  first  class  of  Methodist 
preachers  there  was  a  marked,  if  not  an  exclusive  atten- 
tion and  devotion  to  doctrinal  preaching.  In  all  their 
sermons  the  distinctive  doctrines  of  Methodism  occupied 
the  chief  place.  Repentance,  faith,  justification,  sancti- 
fication,  the  possibility  of  falling  from  grace,  with  the 
doctrine  of  the  atonement  as  contradistinguished  from 
the  Calvinian  view,  and  occasional  brushes  at  Church 
polity  and  ordinances  as  held  by  other  denominations, 
formed  the  staples  of  the  sermons  of  these  early  preach- 
ers. But  not  only  was  Calvinism  attacked;  Arianism, 
Universalism,  and  other  forms  of  error  were  made  to  feel 
the  lash  of  these  sturdy  pioneers  of  the  faith  of  Wesley. 

The  next  class  which  immediately  succeeded  these,  in 
a  great  measure  lost  sight  of  polemic  theology,  and  turned 
their  attention  to  the  graces  of  oratory.  Their  sermons 
were  profusely  interlarded  with  poetry,  and  some  of  the 
preachers  possessed  a  peculiar  penchant  for  blank  verse. 
We  recollect  to  have  heard  it  said  of  one  of  the  preach- 
ers of  this  class,  that  "he  would  break  a  square  any  time 
to  make  a  jingle."  Nicely-rounded  periods,  beauty  of 
expression,  and  fine  rhetorical  flourishes,  were  Regarded 
as  of  more  importance  than  orthodoxy  itself.  Still,  how- 
ever, there  were  exceptions  to  this  general  rule,  as  also  in 
regard  to  the  first  class. 

This  class  had  its  day,  and  was  followed  by  a  third, 
and  succeeding  one,  whose  characteristic  consisted  in  a 
didactic  style  of  preaching.  Their  sermons,  though  not 
elaborately  ornamented  with  poetry  and  flights  of  fancy, 
were,  nevertheless,  illustrated,  from  beginning  to  end, 
with  anecdotes  and  incidents,  some  of  which  were  so  ap- 
propriate, that  they  are  told  by  preachers  of  this  class 
with  thrilling  effect,  even  to  this  day.  A  well-authenti- 
cated anecdote  or  incident,  in  the  hands  of  a  skillful 
preacher,  will  frequently  accomplish  more  in  arresting 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  217 

the  attention  and  stirring  up  the  soul  to  action,  than  the 
most  powerful  declamation  itself.  We  shall  have  oc- 
casion, in  another  part  of  this  book,  to  relate  some  of 
these. 

This  peculiar  style  of  preaching,  however,  did  not  last 
always.  It  served  its  allotted  time  and  gave  way,  not  to 
a  new  class,  but  to  the  revival  of  an  old  one;  and  it 
seems  that  it  did  not  stop  in  a  medium  in  regard  to  its 
predecessors,  but  bounded  back  to  the  old  stock,  and  re- 
vived the  good  old  doctrinal  style,  mixing  it  up,  however, 
with  a  little  more  of  the  historical  and  exegetical.  How 
far  this  applies  to  the  Methodist  pulpit  of  the  present 
day,  your  old  friend  will  leave  some  graphic  delineator  of 
the  times  to  describe.  We  do  not  profess  to  wield  such 
a  pen  as  would  claim  for  us  the  qualification  to  enter  upon 
the  task  of  describing  the  Methodist  pulpit  of  the  pres- 
ent day,  though  were  we  to  assume  it  we  would  not  be 
disposed  to  consider  it  as  being  marked  by  any  one  strik- 
ing characteristic  distinguishing  it  from  the  pulpits  of 
other  denominations.  We  believe  the  Methodist  pulpit 
to  have  vastly  more  learning  at  the  present  time  than  at 
any  former  period;  but  whether  it  possesses  more  zeal, 
and  devotion,  and  wisdom,  such  as  is  adequate  to  win 
souls  to  Christ,  is  a  question  we  shall  not  at  present  dis- 
cuss, only  so  far  as  to  say  that  our  Church  seems,  in  the 
hands  of  the  present  ministry,  to  be  enlarging  her  bor- 
ders beyond  all  precedent,  in  every  section  of  the 
country. 

But  we  ask  pardon  of  our  readers  for  having  digressed 
so  far  from  our  subject,  and  shall  resume  our  sketch  of 
the  young  and  talented  Blackman.  At  the  early  age  of 
nineteen  he  commenced  his  itinerant  life.  He  was  ad- 
mitted on  trial  in  the  year  1800,  and  sent  to  Kent  cir- 
cuit. After  this  he  traveled  in  regular  succession  Dover, 
Russell,  New  River,  and  Lexington  circuits.  Concerning 

19 


218  SKETCHES    OF 

his  labors  in  these  respective  fields  we  have  no  informa- 
tion. In  the  year  1805  he  was  sent  as  a  missionary  to 
Natchez,  thus  passing  rapidly  over  a  vast  extent  of 
country. 

The  new  field  of  labor  to  which  he  was  destined  was 
then  the  farthest  west.  To  reach  his  appointment  it  was 
necessary  for  him  to  travel  through  a  wilderness  seven  or 
eight  hundred  miles  in  extent,  untenanted,  except  by 
savages  and  beasts  of  prey.  But  no,  there  were  worse 
men  than  savages  and  beasts  of  prey — more  cruel  than 
the  panther.  We  allude  to  those  Indian  traders  who,  to 
rob  the  red  man  of  his  skins  and  furs,  would  give  them 
ardent  spirits  to  drink  and  make  them  drunk,  so  that  they 
would,  in  turn,  rob  and  murder  the  traveler.  It  is  the 
example  of  the  white  man  that  gave  to  the  Indian  char- 
acter its  desperate  savageness;  and  as  an  old  soldier  and 
statesman,  well  acquainted  with  the  history  and  policy  of 
the  nation,  the  other  day  remarked  in  Congress,  "In  i 
every  treaty  that  has  been  violated  by  the  Indians  the 
white  man  has  been  the  aggressor." 

Nothing  daunted,  our  young  hero  missionary  started 
on  his  journey.  For  fourteen  days  and  nights  he  trav- 
eled alone  and  unattended  through  the  wilderness.  At  ; 
night  he  would  hitch  his  horse,  and  taking  his  saddle- 
bags for  a  pillow  and  his  blanket  for  a  covering,  he  would 
lie  down  in  the  woods,  commending  himself  to  the  keep- 
ing of  his  God.  At  length  he  arrived  at  the  place  of  his 
destination.  Methodism  had  scarcely  gained  an  exist- 
ence in  the  place.  Yet  there  were  a  few  who  had  been 
awakened  and  converted  to  God  through  the  labors  of 
Kev.  Tobias  Gibson,  and  they  were  struggling  to  keep 
alive  the  spark  of  grace  in  the  midst  of  the  superabound- 
ing  wickedness.  Notwithstanding  there  were  some  repu- 
table persons  friendly  disposed  to  religion  and  morals,  yet 
it  was  a  lamentnble  faot.  that  the  vast  majority  were  totally 


METHODISM.  219 

bankrupt  in  morals,  and  their  proud  hearts  and  vicious 
lives  made  them  decided  opponents  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ;  but  their  opposition  was  more  strictly  arrayed 
against  those  who  preached  it.  At  one  time,  when  a 
plain,  unlettered  man  was  preaching,  the  wicked  portion 
of  the  audience  had  great  merriment  on  account  of  his 
ignorance  of  correct  language.  It  seems  that  they  had 
set  themselves  up  to  be  judges,  not  hearers,  of  the  word. 
We  have  such  hearers  at  the  present  day.  They  will 
make  a  man  offend  for  a  word,  and  they  will  tax  their 
shallow  brains  so  much  to  recollect  that,  such  is  their 
anxiety  to  criticise,  that  if  one  should  ask  them  about 
the  division  of  the  subject,  or  even  the  text  itself,  their 
feeble  brains  can  not  recall  it.  They  are  unable  to 
hold  but  one  idea  at  a  time.  At  one  time  the  grammar 
of  this  preacher  was  at  fault,  at  another  time  his  rhetoric, 
and  then  his  logic,  besides  his  gestures  were  awkward, 
etc.  They  did  all  they  could  to  hedge  up  the  poor  man's 
way,  and  said  he  was  not  competent  to  preach.  How- 
ever, he  was  not  to  be  intimidated  by  the  laugh  and  sneer 
of  his  ungodly  hearers.  On  one  of  his  visits  he  took  for 
his  text  the  following:  "Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of 
vipers,  how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell !"  Then 
said  he,  in  tones  of  thunder,  "Gentlemen,  is  that  gram- 
mar?" He  was  divinely  assisted  in  his  sermon,  and  hav- 
ing greatly  the  advantage  of  his  censors,  who  sat  as  if 
taken  by  surprise,  he  kept  it  by  pouring  upon  them  pas- 
sage after  passage  of  divine  denunciation  upon  the  wicked, 
frequently  asking  the  annoying  question,  "Gentlemen,  is 
that  grammar?"  So  successful  was  that  effort,  that  ever 
afterward  there  was  a  studied  silence  in  regard  to  the 
preacher's  defects,  and  his  grammar  never  afterward  was 
called  in  question. 

In  the  midst  of  such  society  young  Blackmail  com- 
menced his  labors  in  that  distant  region.      He  was  & 


220  SKETCHES    OF 

stranger  in  a  strange  land,  far  from  home  and  kindred. 
There  were  then  no  missionary  funds  to  aid  the  itinerant 
in  planting  the  Gospel  in  destitute  places,  and  all  the  sup- 
port >upon  which  he  could  rely  was  the  naked  promise, 
"Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world." 
He  shared  largely  in  the  labors,  privations,  and  reproaches 
incident  to  his  calling,  as  a  minister;  but  he  realized  the 
fulfillment  of  the  promise  in  the  presence  of  his  Master, 
and  the  consolations  of  his  grace.  Occasionally  the 
bright  and  happy  scenes  of  home  would  flit  across  his 
memory,  and  the  temptation  to  return  to  the  loved  ones 
he  had  left  would  be  presented  to  his  mind.  "  Surely," 
would  the  tempter  say,  "Your  God  is  not  a  hard  mas- 
ter, and  he  does  not  require  you  to  preach  the  Gospel  to 
those  who  will  neither  receive  nor  support  it."  But 

"  The  vows  of  God  were  on  him, 
And  he  dare  not  turn  aside  to 
Pluck  terrestrial  fruit,  or  play  with 
Earthly  flowers." 

What  if  they  did  not  receive  him;  they  also  rejected  his 
Master,  and  the  servant  must  not  be  greater  than  his 
Lord;  so  in  faith,  and  patience,  and  hope  he  labored  on 
in  the  service  of  his  King  and  Savior. 

In  the  year  1806  he  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of 
the  Mississippi  district.  New  laborers  were  brought  into 
the  field,  which,  while  it  proved  a  source  of  mutual  en- 
couragement, enabled  them  to  present  a  stronger  front  to 
the  enemy.  The  strongholds  of  sin  and  infidelity  were 
attacked;  errors,  incrusted  by  time  and  fortified  by  cus- 
tom, were  destroyed;  prejudices,  the  most  inveterate,  were 
driven  away;  and  the  light  of  the  Gospel  began  to  shed 
its  cheering  beams  upon  the  long  night  of  darkness 
which  had  reigned.  Sinners  were  awakened  and  con- 
verted to  God,  houses  of  worship  were  erected,  Churches 
organized,  and  the  institutions  of  religion  established;  in 


WKSTEKN    METHODISM. 

fine,  "the  wilderness  and  solitary  places  were  made  glad 
fcnd  the  desert  to  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose,"  through 
the  instrumentality  of  these  faithful,  self-denyiiig  heralds 
of  the  cross.  In  all  the  bounds  of  his  present  field  of 
labor,  when  he  first  entered  upon  his  work,  there  were 
but  seventy-four  whites  and  sixty-two  colored  members ; 
and  after  three  years'  labor  he  was  permitted  to  see  em- 
braced in  the  same  field  an  entire  district,  with  five  cir- 
cuits and  a  large  increase  in  the  membership. 

But  the  itinerant  system  required  him  to  cultivate 
other  fields,  and  he  left  the  lowlands  of  Mississippi, 
where  he  was  beloved  and  respected  by  a  numerous  host 
of  friends,  whom  God  had  raised  up  as  the  fruits  of  his 
labors,  and  went  to  Tennessee  to  preside  on  the  Holstou 
district.  Here  he  continued  two  years,  and  from  thence 
was  removed  to  the  Cumberland  district,  where  he  also 
remained  two  years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  which  time 
he  was  placed,  by  the  authorities  of  the  Church,  on  the 
Nashville  district.  On  all  these  fields  he  was  in  labors 
more  abundant,  and  God  crowned  those  labors  with  suc- 
cess, by  making  them  effectual  in  bringing  into  the 
Church  a  rich  harvest  of  souls.  Perhaps  under  the 
labors  of  no  one,  in  his  day,  were  the  borders  of  Zion 
more  enlarged  in  the  lengthening  of  her  cords  and  the 
strengthening  of  her  stakes.  In  the  year  1815  he  was 
reappointed  to  the  Cumberland  district.  In  the  mean 
time  he  had  married;  and  desirous  ol  visiting  his  rela- 
tions in  Ohio,  among  whom  was  brother  Collins,  who  had 
married  his  sister,  he  took  a  few  days  of  spare  time  for 
that  purpose. 

He  was  again  at  his  home  and  surrounded  by  the 
scenes  of  his  youth — surrounded  by  the  friends  of  other 
days,  whose  presence  called  up  hallowed  associations. 
After  enjoying  their  society  for  a  short  time — for  he 

could  spare  but  a  little  while  to  turn  aside  and  greet  his 
19* 


222  SKETCHES    OF 

friends — he  bade  them  adieu  aud  started  for  the  field  of 
his  labors.  Many  tears  were  shed  at  parting,  but  none 
knew  that  they  were  the  tears  of  a  last  farewell.  None 
knew  that  in  a  few  hours  that  tall,  graceful  form  would 
be  cold  in  death,  and  that  dark  but  kindly  eye,  which 
beamed  with  such  happiness,  would  close  its  light  on 
earth  forever.  But  the  ways  of  God  are  inscrutable; 

"  Impervious  shadows  hide 
The  mystery  of  heaven." 

The  minister  and  his  young,  blooming  bride,  on  their 
return,  reached  Cincinnati.  Here  they  must  cross  the 
Ohio;  but  no  proud  steamer,  as  now,  with  its  spacious 
guards  spread  out  to  the  beach,  is  waiting  to  receive  the 
passengers  and  ferry  them  over.  A  crazy  craft,  with  sails 
and  paddles,  in  that  olden  time,  was  all  the  means  pos- 
sessed for  keeping  up  a  communication  between  Ohio  and 
Kentucky.  Alighting  from  the  carriage,  the  horses  were 
driven  into  the  flat,  and  it  was  pushed  from  the  shore. 
Brother  Blackman  stood  in  front  of  his  horses  to  hold 
them.  When  all  was  clear,  and  the  boat  was  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  shore,  the  ferryman  commenced  hoisting 
his  sails,  the  sight  or  flapping  of  which  frightened  the 
horses.  Blackman  made  every  effort  to  hold  them,  but 
before  assistance  could  be  had  they  plunged  overboard, 
taking  him  with  them.  He  had  a  strong  arm  and  was  a 
good  swimmer;  but,  alas!  neither  strength  nor  skill  can 
avail  when  the  work  of  man  is  done.  Till  that  hour  he 
was  immortal,  but  the  time  had  come  for  the  termination 
of  his  labors  and  his  release  from  earth.  He  sank  to 
rise  no  more  a  living  man,  till  Jesus  shall  wake  his  saints 
from  the  sleep  of  death  and  call  them  up  to  heaven. 
Thus  ended  the  laborious  life  of  the  young  and  talented 
Learner  Blackman;  and  though  the  waters  of  the  river, 
which  roll  yonder,  quenched  his  life  and  drowned  his 
dying  words,  yet  we  believe  he  sleeps  in  Jesus. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  223 


CHAPTER  XY. 
LOST  CHILD;  OB,  "THE  CAMP  OP  LTDIA." 

To  a  denizen  of  a  large  city  the  words  which  stand  at 
the  head  of  this  article  produce  but  a  faint  impression 
when  compared  with  that  produced  upon  the  mind  of  the 
villager.  To  the  former  it  is  a  familiar  sound,  and  he  is 
accustomed  by  day  and  by  night  to  hear  the  bellman's 
voice  rising  above  the  din  of  the  city,  or  ringing  out  on. 
the  clear  night  air,  "Lost  child!"  But  when  these 
words  fall  upon  the  ear  of  the  dweller  in  the  woods,  or 
the  inhabitant  of  the  wilderness,  a  thousand  frightful 
images  at  once  rush  upon  the  mind,  rousing  all  to  the 
most  intense  excitement.  Once,  while  returning  home 
about  eleven  o'clock  on  a  cold  winter's  night,  in  a  large 
city,  we  heard,  at  the  corner  of  a  square,  an  alarm  bell, 
and  we  stopped  to  listen.  Presently  a  despairing  cry 
arose,  "Lost  children,"  accompanied  by  a  description  of 
their  persons,  and  directions  where  to  take  them  if  found. 
Knowing  it  was  not  the  old  bellman,  whose  voice  had  be- 
come familiar  to  us  in  crying,  "Lost  child,"  we  waited 
till  the  crier  came  up.  When  he  reached  the  corner 
where  we  stood,  he  rung  his  bell  and  cried  again.  Just 
as  he  concluded,  a  whiskered  animal,  dressed  in  gentle- 
man's clothes,  coming  along,  exclaimed,  "Try  it  again, 
old  fellow!"  "You  heartless  wretch!"  said  we,  but  he 
passed  without  noticing  us.  We  then  asked  the  criei 
whose  children  were  lost.  "Mine,"  said  he,  "and  the 
child  of  a  poor  widow  living  close  by  me.  We  are  not 
able  to  pay  the  bellman,  and  I  started  out  myself  to  hunt 


2M  SKETCHES    OF 

the  children."  "  0,  God/'  we  thought,  "  what  a  heart- 
less world !  Here  is  a  poor  man  seeking  his  lost  child  at 
the  dead  hour  of  night,  in  the  streets  and  alleys  of  a 
vast  city,  and  not  a  soul  to  sympathize  with  or  help  him !" 
But  to  our  story. 

In  the  year  1805,  when  all  the  region  of  country  bor- 
dering upon  the  Ohio  river  was  a  wilderness,  and  only 
here  and  there  were  villages,  which  had  sprung  up  in  the 
vicinity  of  forts — such,  for  instance,  as  Marietta,  at  Fort 
Harmar,  and  Cincinnati,  at  Fort  Washington — and  the 
savages  roamed  unmolested  over  the  broad  prairies  and 
through  the  dense  forests  of  the  west,  a  scene  occurred 
at  a  settlement  about  thirty  miles  north-east  of  Cincin- 
nati, which  produced  the  most  astonishing  excitement 
throughout  the  whole  surrounding  country.  There  lived 
at  this  settlement  a  family  by  the  name  of  Osborn,  which 
consisted  of  the  father,  and  mother,  and  two  daughters, 
the  elder  of  whom  was  about  eleven  years  of  age,  and  the 
younger  about  seven.  In  those  days  of  backwoods  life 
every  member  of  the  family  was  employed,  from  neces- 
sity, in  farming  pursuits,  and  almost  as  soon  as  a  child 
was  able  to  walk  it  was  taught  to  engage  in  some  employ- 
ment connected  with  rural  life.  While  the  father  was 
engaged  in  attending  his  small  patch  of  corn,  and  the 
mother  was  attending  her  domestic  concerns,  of  cooking, 
knitting,  spinning,  or  weaving,  the  children  would  be 
employed,  if  sons,  in  assisting  the  father  in  the  field  or 
barn ;  and  if  daughters,  in  helping  the  mother  in  domes- 
tic duties. 

It  was  usually  the  duty  of  the  younger  boys  to  hunt 
the  cows,  which  were  left  to  run  in  the  woods,  and  some- 
times were  difficult  to  find.  As  there  were  no  boys  in  this 
family,  it  devolved  upon  the  girls  to  search  the  ranges  of 
the  cattle,  and  drive  home  the  cows.  One  afternoon  in 
the  latter  part  of  summer,  the  little  girls  of  the  Osborn 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  225 

family  started  out  on  their  accustomed  pursuit.  After 
finding  the  cows,  which  they  were  enabled  to  do  by  the 
tinkling  of  their  bells,  they  started  to  drive  them  home. 
The  elder  girl,  having  become  bewildered,  supposed,  from 
the  direction  the  cows  took,  that  they  were  going  from 
instead  of  toward  home.  Fully  impressed  with  this  be- 
lief, she  requested  her  little  sister  to  stay  where  she 
was,  and  she  would  run  and  head  them,  and  turn  them 
in  the  right  direction.  But  the  cows,  intent  on  going 
home,  would  not  be  diverted  from  their  course.  What 
to  do  she  knew  not;  and  fearing  that  her  sister  would  be 
lost,  she  left  the  cattle,  and  started  on  hunt  of  her;  but 
alas  !  how  did  her  young  heart  ache  when,  after  wander- 
ing about  for  a  long  while,  and  crying  out  her  name  in 
the  woods,  she  could  not  find  her!  Sadly  she  started, 
without  her  sister,  in  the  direction  of  home,  as  she  sup- 
posed ;  but  instead  of  this,  the  poor,  bewildered  child 
took  an  opposite  direction  from  her  father's  cabin.  The 
younger  girl  followed  the  sound  of  the  cow-bells,  and 
arrived  safely  at  home;  but  Lydia — for  that  was  her 
name — wandered  on,  and  was  lost  in  the  wilderness. 

Night  came  on,  casting  its  darkened  shadows  over  the 
forest,  but  she  came  not  to  greet  the  anxious  eyes  of  her 
parents,  which  were  growing  sorrowful  and  dim  with 
watching.  No  time  was  to  be  lost;  their  child  was  in 
the  woods,  exposed  to  the  savages  and  wild  beasts.  The 
neighborhood  was  roused  with  the  alarm  of  "Lost  child  I" 

O 

The  cry  became  general,  like  the  cry  of  fire  at  night  in 
a  country  village.  Every  heart  was  touched,  and  soon,  in 
every  direction,  torches  were  seen  flashing  their  light 
into  the  darkness  of  the  forest.  Bells  were  rung,  horns 
were  blown,  and  guns  were  fired  through  the  woods,  if, 
perchance,  the  sound  might  reach  the  ear  of  the  lost  one. 
The  whole  night  was  spent  in  a  fruitless  search.  The 
news  flew  in  every  direction,  and  reached  the  settlement 


226  SKETCHES   OF 

where  we  resided,  and  as  many  as  could  leave  home 
turned  out  to  seek  for  the  lost  child.  This  day  was  also 
spent  in  vain,  though  some  signs  of  her  tracks  in  cross- 
ing branches  and  miry  places  were  discovered,  all,  how- 
ever, indicating  that  she  was  going  farther  into  the  wil- 
derness. On  the  third  day  the  famous  backwoodsman 
and  hunter,  Cornelius  Washburn,  arrived,  with  about  five 
hundred  others.  Washburn  was  accompanied  by  his 
noted  hunting-dog,  of  which  it  was  said  he  would  follow 
any  scent  his  master  would  put  him  upon.  At  length 
the  night  of  the  third  day  arrived,  but  still  no  intelli- 
gence of  the  lost  child.  We  were  now  deep  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  we  all  made  preparations  for  camping  out 
that  night.  After  lighting  our  fires,  and  taking  some 
refreshment,  we  retired  to  rest  by  lying  down  upon  the 
ground  by  our  camp-fires.  At  daybreak  we  were  up 
again,  and  ready  for  our  search ;  but  as  the  collection  of 
people  was  so  numerous,  we  concluded  it  was  best  to  form 
ourselves  into  companies,  and  take  different  directions, 
and  meet  at  night  at  a  place  designated,  and  report  in 
relation  to  our  discoveries.  Money  was  collected  and 
sent  to  the  settlements  to  buy  provisions,  to  be  brought 
to  the  place  of  rendezvous.  Every  day  we  received  ac- 
cessions to  our  numbers,  so  that  on  the  seventh  day  it 
was  supposed  there  were  more  than  a  thousand  persons 
gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  many  from 
Kentucky.  The  seventh  night  was  spent  on  the  head 
waters  of  the  East  Fork  of  the  Little  Miami.  Washburn 
reported  that  he  had  discovered  where  the  little  girl  had 
slept  for  several  nights.  The  place  she  had  selected  was 
where  one  tree  had  fallen  across  another,  which  was  lying 
down,  and  afforded  a  good  protection.  He  also  saw 
where  she  had  plucked  and  eaten  some  fox-grapes  and 
whortleberries.  To  this  place  the  whole  crowd  hurried. 
Nothing  could  have  restrained  them,  so  eager  were  they 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  227 

to  find  the  lost  child,  or  some  clue  that  would  lead  to  her 
discovery. 

In  all  these  journeyings  the  father  was  present,  and  so 
absorbed  in  grief  at  the  loss  of  his  dear  Lydia,  that  ho 
could  neither  eat  nor  sleep.  Sorrow  drank  up  his  spirits, 
and  he  refused  to  be  comforted.  When  hope  was  kin- 
dled in  his  heart  that  his  child  would  be  found,  he 
seemed  like  one  frantic,  and  flew  in  every  direction,  call- 
ing most  piteously  the  name  of  his  child ;  but  she  was 
not  there,  her  little  feet  had  borne  her  to  some  other 
quarter  of  the  wildwood.  It  was  agreed  the  next  morn- 
ing that  all  the  company  should  start  out  abreast,  about 
three  rods  apart,  with  a  man  in  the  middle,  and  one  at 
each  end  of  the  line,  whose  duty  it  was  to  blow  horns  at 
certain  intervals  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  line 
in  order.  It  was  an  immense  line,  extending  for  several 
miles.  Each  man  was  instructed  to  examine  carefully 
every  branch  and  wet  place,  and  every  hollow  log  and 
thicket,  to  see  if  any  traces  of  her  were  discoverable. 

Thus,  day  after  day,  and  night  after  night,  the  search 
went  on,  till  sixteen  days  were  passed  away  in  the  fruit- 
less endeavor  to  find  her.  In  the  mean  time,  some  of 
the  company  having  lost  all  hope  of  finding  her,  returned 
home,  but  others  came  and  filled  their  places,  so  that  on 
no  day  were  there  less  than  one  thousand  persons  on 
the  search.  On  the  fourteenth  day,  accompanied  by  two 
others,  we  took  across  to  the  North  Fork  of  Whiteoak, 
and  carefully  searched  the  banks  of  that  stream  for 
miles.  On  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth  day  we  found 
where  she  had  crossed,  by  her  footprints  in  the  sand,  at 
the  water's  edge.  These  footprints  appeared  to  be  fresh, 
and  greatly  revived  our  hopes.  We  were  now  distant 
from  the  main  body  of  men  several  miles ;  and  while  one 
of  our  number  was  dispatched  to  communicate  the  intel- 
ligence, we  proceeded  to  follow  tip  a  fork  of  the  creek 


228  SKETCHES   OF 

which  puts  in  just  where  her  footprints  were  found. 
Here  there  was  an  opening  on  the  bottom  land,  where 
there  was  a  large  blackberry  patch  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  in  length.  Near  this  patch  we  found  a  neat  little 
house,  built  of  sticks,  nicely  adjusted.  It  was  covered 
with  sticks,  and  over  these  were  placed,  in  regular  layers, 
pieces  of  moss  taken  from  the  logs  and  sides  of  trees  in 
the  neighborhood.  The  cracks  were  all  neatly  stopped 
with  moss.  In  the  center,  on  one  side,  was  a  little  door, 
and  in  the  interior  was  a  bed  made  of  leaves,  covered  with 
moss,  and  decorated  with  wild  flowers.  All  could  see  at 
once  that  it  was  the  work  of  a  child;  and  we  may  have 
been  childish  while  gazing  upon  it ;  for  the  tears  stole 
freely  down  our  cheeks.  Here,  away  in  the  wilderness, 
far  from  human  habitation,  had  this  lost  child  constructed 
this  miniature  house,  and  thus  recalled  the  scenes  of  home, 
and  sister,  and  mother,  and  father. 

The  child  must  have  been  here  several  days ;  for,  from 
her  little  house  to  the  blackberry  patch,  she  had  beaten 
quite  a  path,  and  some  parts  of  the  patch  were  picked 
quite  bare.  We  imagined  that  we  had  at  last  found  the 
place  where  the  little  wanderer  had  fixed  her  abode;  but 
now  that  we  had  got  in  reach  of  the  prize,  how  to  take  it 
was  the  question.  To  make  a  noise  would  frighten  her 
away  to  some  hiding-place  where  she  could  not  be  found; 
for  children,  when  lost,  become  wild  as  the  antelope  in 
his  native  forest,  and  if  caught  will  make  every  possible 
resistance,  even  looking  upon  their  best  friends  as  ene- 
mies. Supposing  that  she  was  not  far  off,  and  would 
return  to  her  house,  we  removed  to  a  short  distance,  where 
we  would  be  unobserved,  and  sat  down  to  wait  her  com- 
ing. But  there  were  no  signs  of  her  returning,  and  fear- 
ing lest  we  might  be  discovered  by  the  lost  child,  we 
.stole  softly  under  covert,  from  tree  to  tree,  and  cleared 
the  opening.  Ascending  an  eminence,  where  we  had  a 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 

full  view  of  the  blackberry  patch,  we  carefully  scanned 
every  part  of  it,  and  were  satisfied  that  she  was  not 
there.  Returning  again,  and  making  a  more  thorough 
examination,  we  could  discover  no  fresh  signs  of  her 
presence,  and  we  concluded  to  return  to  the  main  creek, 
and  wait  for  the  company,  and  prevent,  if  possible,  the 
press  of  the  eager  crowd  from  rushing  on  and  destroying 
what  signs  might  yet  remain  undiscovered.  It  is  said 
that  there  were  more  than  a  thousand  men  encamped 
along  the  creek  that  night.  The  encampment  extended 
for  half  a  mile. 

Fearing  the  consequences  of  making  a  disclosure  of 
what  we  had  seen  at  the  blackberry  patch,  we  kept  it  a 
secret  till  morning,  and  then  taking  aside  the  best  woods* 
men  in  the  company,  we  led  them  to  the  house  of  the 
child.  We  then  returned  and  formed  the  whole  company 
into  military  order,  and  marched  them  out  into  the  open- 
ing, where,  flanking  out  right  and  left,  they  surrounded 
the  entire  space,  and  formed  a  hollow  square.  At  the 
sight  of  the  little  cabin  a  scene  occurred  which  it  would 
be  impossible  to  describe.  Here  were  brave,  stalwart 
men,  who  had  been  subjected  to  the  perils  of  the  wilder- 
ness, contending  for  every  inch  with  savages  and  wild 
beasts,  whose  hearts  were  never  known  to  quail  with  fear, 
who,  at  sight  of  that  little  cabin,  were  melted  into  tears. 
Some,  as  if  deeming  it  unmanly  to  weep,  or  to  be  seen 
manifesting  so  much  human  sympathy,  turned  aside, 
while  others  left  the  ranks  to  give  vent  to  their  feelings 
in  solitude.  But  when  the  father  came  up  to  the  little 
dwelling  his  own  dear  child  had  built  for  herself,  and 
exclaimed,  "  0,  Lydia,  Lydia,  my  dear  child,  are  you  yet 
alive !"  a  thousand  hearts  broke  forth  in  uncontrollable 
grief. 

The  result  of  the  investigation  made  by  the  hunters 
was,  that  the  signs  were  three  or  four  days  old.  Horse- 

20 


230  SKETCHES    OP 

tracks  were  also  found  in  the  grass,  supposed  to  be  about 
the  same  age.  The  conjecture  was,  that  she  had  been 
discovered  and  taken  away  by  some  hunters,  or  a  party 
of  Indians.  It  was  agreed,  however,  to  make  another 
effort.  The  company  was  divided,  and  sent  out  in  differ- 
ent directions,  to  see  if  any  further  signs  could  be  found 
of  hunters  or  Indians.  Two  miles  from  "  Lydia's 
camp  " — for  so  it  is  called  to  this  day — her  bonnet  was 
found  hanging  on  a  bush,  and  eight  or  ten  miles  further 
off,  an  Indian  camp  was  discovered,  supposed  to  have 
been  vacated  for  five  or  six  days.  The  conclusion  was 
that  the  child  had  been  carried  off  by  the  Indians,  none 
knew  where.  Further  pursuit  being  considered  useless, 
the  company  disbanded,  and  returned  to  their  homes. 
Not  so,  however,  with  the  father.  The  love  of  his  child 
was  to  him  sweeter  than  life.  He  never  gave  up  the 
search,  but  penetrated  the  wildest  solitudes,  and  sought 
for  her  among  the  Indians  till  the  day  of  his  death. 
The  lost  was  never  found. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  231 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

fl).->  •  \J'    •*       ••    • 

JAMES     A  X  I,  E  Y  . 

THE  following  graphic  and  stirring  sketch  of  the  Rev. 
James  Axley,  the  eccentric  preacher,  has  been  kindly 
furnished  for  us  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  A.  Morris,  D.  D., 
Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  It  consists 
mostly  of  personal  reminiscences  of  that  remarkable 
man,  and  such,  indeed,  in  a  majority  of  instances,  is  all 
that  we  can  gather  of  the  fathers  of  Methodism  in  the 
west.  So  far  as  a  connected  biography  is  concerned  the 
most  that  we  can  find  is  the  bare  announcement,  on  the 
Minutes  of  the  various  fields  of  labor,  occupied  by  the 
preachers  from  year  to  year,  and  then,  at  the  close  of 
their  earthly  labors,  a  short  obituary,  embracing  but  a 
meager  outline  of  their  life  and  labors,  and  the  circum- 
stances connected  with  their  death.  But  even  this  is 
denied  the  toil-worn  soldier,  should  he  be  found  in  the 
local  ranks,  when  death  calls  to  take  him  home. 

"  In  1804  the  Western  conference  was  reinforced  by  a 
class  of  young  men,  some  of  whom  became  very  distin- 
guished Methodist  preachers — among  them  were  Samuel 
Parker,  Peter  Cartwright,  and  James  Alley.  With  the 
last-named  I  never  enjoyed  but  one  week's  personal  ac- 
quaintance, but  that  left  on  my  memory  an  indelible 
impression  of  his  person  and  character,  of  which  this 
pen-portrait  is  but  an  imperfect  reflection.  He  had  min- 
gled with  scenes  of  excitement,  toil,  and  peril,  well  cal- 
culated to  develop  his  physical  and  mental  energies. 


232  SKETCHES    OF 

Among  his  early  fields  of  labor  were  Red  river,  Hock- 
hocking,  French  Broad,  Opelousas,  and  Powel's  Valley. 
Subsequently  he  labored  on  Wabash,  Holston,  Green 
River,  and  French  Broad  districts  as  presiding  elder. 
These  widely-separated  points  in  the  Lord's  vineyard, 
all  included  in  the  old  Western  conference,  indicate  that 
he  had  a  pretty  thorough  breaking  into  the  Gospel  har- 
ness after  the  manner  of  our  fathers,  in  the  days  of 
Bishop  Asbury,  when  itinerancy  was  what  its  name 
imports. 

"Long  as  I  had  been  crossing  the  path  of  that  notable 
man,  and  much  as  I  had  heard  of  him  among  the  people, 
my  first  sight  of  him  was  not  obtained  till  the  autumn  of 
1837.  That  year  the  Holston  conference  met  at  Madi- 
sonville,  eastern  part  of  Tennessee,  some  ten  miles  from 
which  brother  Axley,  then  in  a  local  relation,  resided. 
The  first  day  of  the  session  after  adjournment  I  was 
walking  to  my  lodgings  alone,  when  I  heard  a  brother 
some  forty  steps  behind  me  say  to  another,  '  Yonder 
comes  brother  Axley.'  Looking  ahead,  I  observed  a 
man  advancing  toward  me  whose  person  was  imposing. 
He  was  perhaps  five  feet  eight  inches  high;  not  corpu- 
lent, but  very  broad  and  compactly  built,  formed  for 
strength;  his  step  was  firm,  his  face  was  square,  com- 
plexion dark,  eyebrows  heavy,  appearance  rugged; 
dressed  in  the  costume  of  our  fathers,  with  straight- 
breasted  coat,  and  broad-brimmed  hat  projecting  over  a 
sedate  countenance.  His  wide-spread  fame  as  a  natural 
genius  without  any  early  education,  and  especially  the 
numerous  incidents  I  had  heard  of  him  as  a  western, 
pioneer,  had  excited  in  me  a  greater  desire  for  his  per- 
sonal acquaintance  than  that  of  any  other  living  man  I 
had  ever  seen,  except  Jacob  Gruber.  The  sound  of  his 
name  falling  on  my  ear  involuntarily  quickened  my  pace, 
and  we  were  soon  together.  As  I  n eared  him  I  held  out 


WE8TERN     METHODISM.  233 

my  right  hand  and  received  his,  when  the  following 
salutations  were  exchanged: 

"  '  How  are  you,  brother  Axley?' 

"<Who  are  you?' 

"  '  My  name  is  Thomas  A.  Morris.' 

"Then  surveying  me  from  head  to  foot,  he  replied, 
'Upon  my  word,  I  think  they  were  hard  pushed  for 
Bishop-timber  when  they  got  hold  of  you.' 

"  'That  is  just  what  I  thought  myself,  brother  Axley.' 

"  '  Why,  you  look  too  young  for  a  Bishop.' 

•tf  *  As  to  that,  I  am  old  enough  to  know  more  and  do 
better.' 

"Turning  back  with  me,  we  walked  to  our  lodging, 
being  both  quartered  at  the  same  place.  Every  hour 
that  I  could  redeem  from  conference  and  council  busi- 
ness was  enlivened  by  his  quaint  but  thrilling  narratives 
of  his  early  travels,  labors,  and  difficulties.  Unaccus- 
tomed to  the  free  use  of  the  pen,  he  kept  all  his  records 
in  his  tenacious  memory,  much  strengthened  by  use,  and 
narrated  with  uncommon  precision  as  to  names,  dates, 
and  the  order  in  which  facts  transpired.  This  he  did 
leisurely  and  with  perfect  self-possession,  but  spiced  the 
whole  with  such  apt  remarks  and  consummate  good- 
humor  that  the  attention  of  the  company  never  faltered. 
Never  was  I  better  entertained  or  more  instructed  with 
the  conversation  of  a  fellow-sojourner  in  one  week  than 
with  his.  It  was  decidedly  rich. 

'•Next  morning  I  observed  him  seated  near  the  door, 
remote  from  the  business  platform,  and  invited  him  fer- 
ward  to  conduct  the  opening  religious  service  of  the  con  • 
ference.  Then  it  was  that  some  of  his  peculiarities  were 
practically  developed  to  me  for  the  first  time.  His  read- 
ing and  prayer  were  brief  and  simple,  yet  quite  impress- 
ive ;  but  his  singing  took  me  entirely  by  surprise.  H» 

used  no  hymn-book,  gave  out  no  lines,  but  led  off  on  a 
20* 


234:  SKETCHES    OF 

familiar  hymn  and  tune  in  strains  so  exhilarating  and 
devotional  that  both  appeared  to  be  new  and  superex- 
cellent.  Whether  he  had  ever  paid  any  special  attention 
to  tune-books  is  doubtful,  as  he  was  proverbial  for  his 
opposition  to  choir-singing.  However  that  may  have 
been,  his  voice  embodied  in  itself  more  strength,  more 
volume,  more  melody,  and  certainly  more  devotional 
influence,  than  that  of  an  ordinary  church-choir  of  a 
dozen  select  singers.  He  was  invited  to  a  seat  on  the 
platform. 

"  After  the  journal  was  read,  an  unimportant  resolution 
was  offered,  over  which  there  was  a  little  sharp  shooting 
by  speech-makers.  Our  guest,  though  opposed  to  the 
motion,  did  not  interfere  in  the  discussion.  The  breth- 
ren, having  fired  their  minute  guns,  came  to  a  vote, 
expressed  in  the  usual  way  by  raising  their  hands :  two 
hands  were  plainly  visible,  and  another  was  partly  ele- 
vated and  then  suddenly  drawn  down.  Before  the  Chair 
had  time  to  announce  the  decision,  brother  Axley  vocif- 
erated, in  a  very  quaint  manner,  '  Just  two  votes  and  a 
half  for  that !'  The  effect  upon  the  risibles  of  the  body- 
ecclesiastic  was  electrical;  the  gravest  of  the  fathers 
were  convulsed  with  laughter.  Only  the  author  of  it 
seemed  to  be  self-possessed. 

"There  were  points  of  singular  contrast  in  his  char- 
acter. His  exterior  was  rough  as  a  block  of  granite  fresh 
from  the  quarry,  and  his  manner  of  reproving  disorderly 
persons  at  popular  meetings  over  which  he  presided  was 
said  to  indicate  severity;  yet  his  conscience  was  so  ten- 
der and  his  moral  sensibility  so  acute,  that  a  mere  sug- 
gestion from  a  friend  that  he  had  erred  in  any  given  case 
would  draw  from  him  prompt  acknowledgment  with  a 
shower  of  tears.  His  dress  and  address  indicated  the 
rustic,  probably  perpetuated  by  the  force  of  early  habit ; 
and  yet  in  social  intercourse  he  was  both  kind  and 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  235 

attractive.  His  conversational  talent  was  of  a  superior 
order.  Without  classical  learning  or  much  pretension  to 
book  knowledge,  he  was  such  a  master  in  practical,  every- 
day affairs  that  he  could  not  only  delight,  but  instruct 
sages  and  divines.  He  could  so  present  even  a  common- 
place topic  as  to  throw  interest  around  it,  and  by  his 
musical  powers  he  conquered  some  who  could  be  reached 
by  no  other  means.  I  was  informed  that  individuals  who 
were  at  first  his  enemies  and  persecutors  because  of  l\is 
profession  as  a  Methodist  preacher,  on  hearing  him  sing, 
became  his  warm  friends;  and  I  do  not  doubt  it.  Indeed, 
he  told  me  of  himself  an  instance  in  which  he  was  relieved 
from  great  embarrassment  by  singing,  without  saying  any 
thing  as  to  the  merit  of  the  performance.  It  occurred 
while  he  was  laboring  on  the  Opelousas  mission,  in  Lou- 
isiana, perhaps  about  the  year  1807  or  1808.  In  order 
to  supply  some  destitute  neighborhoods  with  the  Gospel 
by  enlarging  his  mission,  he  went  on  a  tour  of  explora- 
tion where  he  was  a  stranger  to  all.  Some  of  his  adven- 
tures during  that  expedition  would,  by  the  ministers  of 
this  generation,  be  regarded  as  specimens  of  moral  hero- 
ism. But  omitting  other  incidents,  I  shall  refer  only  to 
the  point  in  hand.  One  evening,  after  riding  all  day 
without  any  dinner,  he  called  at  a  house  where  the  fam 
ily  consisted  of  a  widow  lady,  a  grown  daughter,  a  num- 
ber of  children,  and  some  servants,  none  of  whom  were 
religious.  The  lady  and  her  family  regretted  his  coming, 
would  not  grant  his  request  to  remain  over  night,  and 
clearly  indicated,  by  looks  and  actions,  that  he  was  an 
unwelcome  guest.  The  reader  may  ask  why  he  did  not 
leave  immediately.  The  reason  was,  he  knew,  if  de- 
feated in  obtaining  lodging  there,  nothing  remained  for 
him  but  a  berth  in  the  dark  wood,  without  food  or  shel- 
ter, at  an  inclement  season  of  the  year.  As  he  lingered 
a  little  to  warm  himself  and  consider  how  he  should 


236  8KETCHKS    OF 

manage  to  pass  that  dreary  night,  the  thought  of  his  for- 
lorn condition  as  a  homeless  stranger,  without  money  or 
friends,  came  like  a  dark  cloud  over  his  mind.  His  deep, 
sad  cogitations  proceeded  in  silence.  Then,  as  was  natu- 
ral in  his  extremity,  he  turned  his  thoughts  toward  his 
heavenly  Father's  house  above,  where  he  hoped  some  day 
to  find  a  home  free  from  the  ills  of  mortal  life.  Being  a 
little  cheered  with  the  prospect,  without  leave,  introduc- 
tion, or  ceremony,  he  began  to  sing  one  of  the  songs  of 
Zion  in  a  strange  land.  As  he  proceeded  his  depressed 
feelings  became  elevated;  the  vision  of  faith  ranged 
above  and  beyond  the  desolate  wilderness  he  had  just 
been  contemplating  as  the  place  of  his  night's  sojourn; 
the  family  were  soon  all  melted  into  tears;  he  took  fresh 
courage,  and  sang  on  with  the  least  possible  pause,  till  he 
had  finished,  perhaps,  the  third  song,  when  the  lady 
called  a  servant,  and  ordered  him  to  put  the  gentleman's 
horse  in  the  stable ;  and  the  daughter  added,  '  Be  sure  to 
feed  him  well.'  Thus  a  few  strains  of  sacred  melody, 
such  as  Axley  could  wield,  removed  all  opposition  and 
relieved  the  case. 

"Brother  Axley  made  every  important  interest  of  life  a 
subject  of  prayer,  as  all  Christian  people  should.  Toward 
the  close  of  our  week's  interview  he  incidentally  alluded 
to  his  courtship  and  marriage,  which  occurred,  I  believe, 
after  he  had  been  a  minister  some  years.  He  opened  his 
mind  to  his  intended  by  letter,  inclosed  in  another  letter 
to  her  brother,  with  whom  she  resided.  To  the  brother 
he  wrote,  if  he  had  any  objection  to  the  correspondence 
with  his  sister,  to  burn  it,  and  that  would  end  the  matter. 
The  letter,  however,  was  delivered  into  her  hand,  contain- 
ing a  proposition  of  marriage,  and  a  notice  that  he  would 
be  there  on  a  given  day  to  receive  the  answer.  On  the 
day  appointed  he  came,  obtained  an  interview,  and  opened 
the  cause  by  stating  he  wished  to  talk  over  the  subject 


WEBTEKN  METHODISM:.  237 

alluded  to  in  his  letter;  'but,  first  of  all/  said  he,  'w« 
must  pray  for  direction.'  They  kneeled  together,  and  he 
led  in  prayer.  After  prayer  ho  wished  to  know  whether 
she  consented  to  the  proposed  union.  She  thought  it 
would  not  be  amiss  for  her  to  have  longer  time  in  which 
to  decide;  but  he  deemed  that  needless,  as  they  were 
well  acquainted,  and  insisted  on  a  present  and  direct 
answer.  The  result  was  marriage. 

"He  was  proverbial  for  his  opposition  to  slavery  and 
whisky.  After  he  located  he  supported  his  family  by  the 
labor  of  his  own  hands  as  a  farmer,  and  was  wont  to  tes- 
tify, on  all  proper  occasions,  that  his  logs  were  rolled,  his 
house  raised,  and  his  grain  cut  without  whisky;  aud 
though  he  had  plentiful  crops  of  corn,  not  the  first  track 
of  a  negro's  foot  was  ever  seen  in  one  of  his  fields.  Such 
was  his  version  of  facts,  as  I  learned  from  some  of  his 
friends. 

"I  never  heard  brother  Axley  preach ;  but,  according  to 
popular  fame,  his  pulpit  performances  were  practical, 
forcible,  and  left  a  deep  and  abiding  impression  on  the 
multitudes  that  thronged  together  to  hear  him.  To  this 
day  we  occasionally  hear  allusion  made  to  a  sermon  he 
preached  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  during  the  General 
conference  of  1820,  of  which  he  was  a  member.  It  must 
have  been  a  potent  sermon  to  be  remembered  so  dis- 
tinctly for  the  third  of  a  century.  I  have  heard  also 
very  frequent  allusions  to  his  pulpit  performances  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  western  country,  where  he  had  opera- 
ted to  good  purpose  as  a  traveling  preacher,  more  par- 
ticularly in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  But  perhaps  the 
effort  which  occasioned  the  most  talk  and  obtained  the 
greatest  notoriety  was  the  one  said  to  have  been  made  in 
his  own  section  of  country,  and  was  commonly  known  as 
Axley's  temperance  sermon,  though  not  so  designated  by 
any  preannouncement.  It  should  be  known  that  east 


238  SKETCHES   OF 

Tennessee  in  those  days  was  regarded  as  a  great  country 
for  producing  peach-brandy,  and  for  a  free  use  of  it;  also, 
that  the  New  Lights  abounded  there,  familiarly  called 
Schismatics,  and  that  Church  members  who  rendered 
themselves  liable  to  a  disciplinary  process  would  occasion- 
ally go  over  to  them,  as  a  city  of  refuge,  where  they  felt 
safe  from  its  restraints.  With  this  preliminary,  I  pro- 
ceed to  recite  a  passage  from  the  sermon,  reminding  the 
reader  that  my  authority  is  not  personal  knowledge,  but 
the  verbal  statement  of  a  highly-respectable  Methodist 
minister,  Rev.  Dr.  G.,  of  Tennessee.  I  write  it  substan- 
tially as  I  heard  it: 

"TEXT :  'Alexander  the  coppersmith  did  me  much  evil : 
the  Lord  reward  him  according  to  his  works/  2  Timothy 
iv,  14. 

"Paul  was  a  traveling  preacher,  and  a  bishop,  I  presume, 
or  a  presiding  elder  at  least;  for  he  traveled  extensively, 
and  had  much  to  do,  not  only  in  regulating  the  societies, 
but  also  in  sending  the  preachers  here,  there,  and  yonder. 
He  was  zealous,  laborious,  would  not  build  on  another 
man's  foundation,  but  formed  new  circuits,  where  Christ 
was  not  named,  'so  that  from  Jerusalem,  and  round 
about  unto  Illyricum,  he  had  fully  preached  the  Gospel 
of  Christ/  One  new  place  that  he  visited  was  very 
wicked — Sabbath-breaking,  dancing,  drinking,  quarrel- 
ing, fighting,  swearing,  etc.,  abounded;  but  the  word  of 
the  Lord  took  effect;  there  was  a  powerful  stir  among 
the  people,  and  many  precious  souls  were  converted. 
Among  the  subjects  of  that  work  there  was  a  certain 
noted  character,  Alexander  by  name,  and  a  still-maker  by 
trade;  also,  one  Hymeneus,  who  was  his  partner  in  the 
business.  Paul  formed  a  new  society,  and  appointed 
brother  Alexander  class-leader.  There  was  a  great  change 
in  the  place;  the  people  left  off  their  drinking,  swearing, 
fighting,  horse-racing,  dancing,  and  all  their  wicked 


WE8TEBN   METHODISM.  239 

practices.  The  stills  were  worked  up  into  bells  and  stew- 
kettlcs,  and  thus  applied  to  useful  purposes.  The  settle* 
went  was  orderly,  the  meetings  were  prosperous,  and 
things  went  well  among  them  for  some  time.  But  one 
year  they  had  a  pleasant  spring;  there  was  no  late  frost, 
and  the  peach  crop  hit  exactly.  I  do  suppose,  my  breth- 
ren, that  such  a  crop  of  peaches  was  never  known  before. 
The  old  folks  ate  all  they  could  eat,  the  children  ate  all 
they  could  eat,  the  pigs  ate  all  they  could  eat,  and  the  sis- 
ters preserved  all  they  could  preserve,  and  still  the  limbs 
of  the  trees  were  bending  and  breaking.  One  Sunday, 
when  the  brethren  met  for  worship,  they  gathered  round 
outside  of  the  meeting-house,  and  got  to  talking  about 
their  worldly  business — as  you  know  people  sometimes  do, 
and  it  is  a  mighty  bad  practice — and  one  said  to  another, 
*  Brother,  how  is  the  peach  crop  with  you  this  year?'  'O/ 
said  he,  'you  never  saw  the  like;  they  are  rotting  on  the 
ground  under  the  trees;  I  don't  know  what  to  do  with 
them.'  '  How  would  it  do,'  said  one,  '  to  still  them  ?  The 
peaches  will  go  to  waste,  but  the  brandy  will  keep;  and 
it  is  very  good  in  certain  cases,  if  not  used  to  excess/ 
'I  should  like  to  know/  said  a  cute  brother,  'how  you 
could  make  brandy  without  stills?'  ' That's  nothing/ 
replied  one,  'for  our  class-leader — brother  Alexander — 
is  as  good  a  still-maker  as  need  be,  and  brother  Ilyme- 
neus  is  another,  and,  rather  than  see  the  fruit  wasted,  no 
doubt  they  would  make  us  a  few.'  The  next  thing  heard 
on  the  subject  was  a  hammering  in  the  class-leader's 
shop ;  and  soon  the  stills  in  every  brother's  orchard  were 
smoking,  and  the  liquid  poison  streaming.  When  one 
called  on  another  the  bottle  was  brought  out,  with  the 
remark,  'I  want  you  to  taste  my  new  brandy;  I  think 
it  is  pretty  good.'  The  guest,  after  tasting  once,  was 
urged  to  repeat,  when,  smacking  his  lips,  he  would  re- 
ply, 'Well,  it's  tolerable;  but  I  wish  you  would  come 


240  SKETCHES    OF 

over  and  taste  mine;  I  think  mine  is  a  little  better.'  So 
they  tasted  and  tasted  till  many  of  them  got  about  half 
drunk,  and  I  don't  know  but  three-quarters.  Then  the 
very  devil  was  raised  among  them ;  the  society  was  all  in 
an  uproar,  and  Paul  was  sent  for  to  come  and  settle  the 
difficulty.  At  first  it  was  difficult  to  find  sober,  disinter- 
ested ones  enough  to  try  the  guilty;  but  finally  he  got 
his  committee  formed ;  and  the  first  one  he  brought  to 
account  was  Alexander,  who  pleaded  not  guilty.  He  de- 
clared that  he  had  not  tasted,  bought,  sold,  or  distilled  a 
drop  of  brandy.  ( But/  said  Paul,  '  you  made  the  stills, 
otherwise  there  could  have  been  no  liquor  made ;  and  if 
no  liquor,  no  one  could  have  been  intoxicated.'  So  they 
expelled  him  first,  then  Hymeneus  next,  and  went  on  for 
compliment,  till  the  society  was  relieved  of  all  still-mak- 
ers, distillers,  dram-sellers,  and  dram-drinkers,  and  peace 
was  once  more  restored.  Paul  says,  'Holding  faith  and  a 
good  conscience;  which  some  having  put  away,  concerning 
faith  have  made  shipwreck  ;  of  whom  is  Hymeneus  and 
Alexander;  whom  I  have  delivered  unto  Satan,  that  they 
may  learn  not  to  blaspheme.' 

"Of  course  they  flew  off  the  handle,  and  joined  the 
Schismatics. 

"Now,  in  view  of  the  peculiar  structure  of  brother 
Axley's  mind,  and  his  characteristic  habits  of  thought 
and  expression,  they  who  were  best  acquainted  with  him 
will  be  most  likely  to  admit  that  the  above  outline  may 
be  substantially  correct.  I  was  anxious  to  have  learned 
more  items  of  the  history  of  that  good  man ;  but  at  my 
next  visit  to  Holston  conference,  in  1840,  I  had  left  me 
only  the  mournful  pleasure  of  visiting  his  grave,  in  a 
rural  cemetery,  which,  at  that  time,  was  without  inscrip- 
tion or  inclosure.  If  some  one  of  our  senior  brethren, 
better  acquainted  with  the  subject  of  this  brief  notice 
than  the  writer,  would  favor  the  public  with  a  reliable 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  24:1 

biography,  and  thereby  rescue  the  name  of  James  Axley 
from  oblivion,  he  would  confer  a  lasting  benefit  on  the 
Church  and  the  numerous  friends  of  the  deceased. 
Whatever  is  to  be  rescued  from  oblivion  concerning  the 
early  pioneers  of  Methodism  must  be  soon  done." 

To  the  personal  reminiscences  of  the  Bishop  might  bo 
added  others  by  those  who  knew  Axley,  and  were  privi- 
leged to  wait  on  his  ministry.  In  the  autobiography 
of  Samuel  Williams,  Esq.,  we  find  the  following  : 

"The  name  of  James  Axley  was  rendered  familiar  to 
us  by  being  carved  by  himself,  during  the  sitting  of  the 
conference  of  1807,  on  the  back  of  the  seat  in  front  of 
the  one  in  which  we  usually  sat.  in  the  little,  old  brick 
chapel.  Our  recollection  of  his  person  is  rather  indis- 
tinct j  but  we  think  he  was  tall  and  raw-boned,  and  a  lit- 
tle awkward  in  his  manners  and  movements.  In  the 
matter  and  delivery  of  his  discourses  there  was  a  marked 
originality,  a  vein  of  humor,  and  even  drollery,  which, 
while  it  interested  and  frequently  amused  his  hearers, 
often  gave  severe  point  and  directness  to  his  rebukes. 
He  was,  nevertheless,  a  preacher  of  very  respectable  tal- 
ents and  undoubted  piety.  And  if  he  was  not  a  'polished 
shaft '  in  the  quiver  of  the  Almighty,  yet  the  arrow  was 
none  the  less  sharp  and  keen.  We  have  heard  many  an- 
ecdotes of  his  sayings  and  doings.  The  following,  re- 
lated to  us  about  thirty  years  ago  by  the  Rev.  John 
Collins,  we  give  the  reader  as  a  specimen  : 

"In  one  of  his  discourses  Mr.  Axley  was  descanting 
upon  conformity  to  the  world  among  Christians,  particu- 
larly in  fashionable  dress  and  manners.  To  meet  the 
pleas  and  excuses  usually  set  up  in  behalf  of  these  depart- 
ures from  the  good  old  way,  he  held  a  sort  of  colloquy 
with  an  imaginary  apologist,  seated  at  the  further  end  of 
the  congregation,  whose  supposed  pleas  and  excuses  he 
would  state  on  behalf  of  his  man  of  straw,  in  an  altered 
21 


242  SKETCHES    OP 

tone;  then  resuming  his  natural  voice,  he  would  reply 
and  demolish  the  arguments  of  his  opponent.  After 
thus  discussing  the  subject  for  some  time,  the  opponent 
was  made  to  say. 

"'But,  sir,  some  of  your  Methodist  preachers  them- 
selves dress  in  fashionable  style,  and  in  air  and  manner 
enact  the  dandy.' 

"'0  no,  my  friend,  that  can  not  be.  Methodist 
preachers  know  their  calling  better.  They  are  men  of 
more  sense  than  that,  and  would  not  stoop  so  low  as  to 
disgrace  themselves  and  the  sacred  office  they  hold  by 
such  gross  inconsistency  of  character.' 

"'Well,  sir,  if  you  won't  take  my  word  for  it,  just 
look  at  those  young  preachers  in  the  pulpit,  behind  you.' 

"Mr.  Axley,  turning  immediately  around,  with  seem- 
ing surprise,  and  facing  two  or  three  rather  fashionably- 
dressed  junior  preachers  seated  in  the  rear  of  the  pulpit, 
he  surveyed  each  of  them  from  head  to  foot  for  two  or 
three  minutes,  while  they  quailed  under  the  withering 
glance  of  his  keen  and  penetrating  eye;  then  turning 
again  to  the  congregation,  and  leaning  a  little  forward 
over  the  front  of  the  desk,  with  his  arm  extended,  and 
his  eyes  as  if  fixed  on  the  apologist  at  the  further  end  of 
the  church,  he  said,  in  a  subdued  tone,  yet  distinctly 
enough  to  be  heard  by  all  present, 

"  l  If  y°u  phase,  sir,  we'll  drop  the  subject!' 

"  Although  the  following  additional  anecdote  of  Mr. 
Axley  may  be  familiar  to  many  of  our  readers,  we  hope 
they  will  pardon  us  for  inserting  it,  as  it  is  worthy  of  a 
more  durable  record  than  the  columns  of  a  newspaper, 
from  which  we  clip  it.  The  late  Judge  Hugh  L.  White, 
who  relates  it,  was  a  learned  and  able  jurist  and  distin- 
guished statesman,  and  for  many  years  a  conspicuous 
member  of  the  United  States  senate  from  the  state  of 
Tennessee. 


WKbTKKN    METHODISM.  243 

"  On  a  certain  day  a  number  of  lawyers  and  literary 
men  -were  together  in  tke  town  of  Knoxville,  Tennessee, 
and  the  conversation  turned  on  preachers  and  preaching. 
One  and  another  had  expressed  his  opinion  of  the  per- 
formances of  this  and  that  pulpit  orator,  when  at  length 
Judge  White  spoke  up : 

"'Well,  gentlemen,  on  this  subject  each  man  is,  of 
course,  entitled  to  his  own  opinion ;  but  I  must  confess 
that  father  Axley  brought  me  to  a  sense  of  my  evil 
deeds,  at  least  a  portion  of  them,  more  effectually  than 
any  preacher  I  ever  heard.' 

"At  this,  every  eye  and  car  was  turned,  for  Judge 
White  was  never  known  to  speak  lightly  on  religious  sub- 
jects, and,  moreover,  was  habitually  cautious  and  respect- 
ful in  his  remarks  about  religious  men.  The  company 
now  expressed  the  most  urgent  desire  that  the  Judge 
should  give  the  particulars,  and  expectation  stood  on 
tiptoe. 

"'I  went  up,'  said  the  Judge,  'one  evening  to  the 
Methodist  church.  A  sermon  was  preached  by  a  clergy- 
man with  whom  I  was  not  acquainted,  but  father  Axley 
IMS  in  the  pulpit.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon  he  arose 
and  said  to  the  congregation,  "I  am  not  going  to  detain 
you  by  delivering  an  exhortation ;  I  have  risen  merely  to 
administer  a  rebuke  for  improper  conduct,  which  I  have 
observed  here  to-night."  This,  of  course,  waked  up  the 
entire  assembly,  and  the  stillness  was  profound,  while 
Axley  stood  and  looked  for  several  seconds  over  the  con- 
gregation. Then  stretching  out  his  large,  long  arm,  and 
pointing  with  his  finger  steadily  in  one  direction,  he  said, 
"  Now,  I  calculate  that  those  two  young  men,  who  were 
talking  in  that  corner  of  the  house  while  the  brother  was 
preaching,  think  that  I  am  going  to  talk  about  them. 
Well,  it  is  true,  it  looks  very  bad,  when  well-dressed 
young  men,  who  you  would  suppose,  from  their  appear- 


244  SKETCHES    OF 

ance,  belonged  to  some  respectable  family,  come  to  the 
house  of  God,  and  instead  of  reverencing  the  majesty  of 
Him  that  dwelleth  therein,  or  attending  to  the  message 
of  his  everlasting  love,  get  together  in  one  corner  of  the 
house  " — his  finger  all  the  time  pointing  as  steady  and 
straight  as  the  aim  of  a  rifleman — "and  there,  during 
the  whole  solemn  service,  keep  talking,  tittering,  laugh- 
ing, and  giggling,  thus  annoying  the  minister,  disturbing 
the  congregation,  and  sinning  against  God.  I'm  sorry 
for  the  young  men.  I'm  sorry  for  their  parents.  I'm 
sorry  they  have  done  so  to-night.  I  hope  they  will  never 
do  so  again.  But,  however,  that's  not  the  thing  I  was 
going  to  talk  about.  It  is  another  matter,  so  important 
that  I  thought  it  would  be  wrong  to  suffer  the  congrega- 
tion to  depart  without  administering  a  suitable  rebuke. 
Now/'  said  he,  stretching  out  his  huge  arm,  and  pointing 
in  another  direction,  "perhaps  that  man  who  was  asleep 
on  the  bench  out  there,  while  the  brother  was  preaching, 
thinks  I  am  going  to  talk  about  him.  Well,  I  must  con- 
fess it  looks  very  bad  for  a  man  to  come  into  a  worship- 
ing assembly,  and,  instead  of  taking  a  scat  like  others, 
and  listening  to  the  blessed  Gospel,  carelessly  stretching 
himself  out  on  a  bench,  and  going  to  sleep.  It  is  not 
only  a  proof  of  great  insensibility  with  regard  to  the  ob- 
ligations which  we  owe  to  our  Creator  and  Redeemer,  but 
it  shows  a  want  of  genteel  breeding.  It  shows  that  the 
poor  man  has  been  so  unfortunate  in  his  bringing  up  as 
not  to  have  been  taught  good  manners.  He  don't  know 
what  is  polite  and  respectful  in  a  worshiping  assembly 
among  whom  he  comes  to  mingle.  I'm  sorry  for  the  poor 
man.  I'm  sorry  for  the  family  to  which  he  belongs.  I'm 
sorry  he  did  not  know  better.  I  hope  he  will  never  do 
so  again.  But,  however,  this  was  not  what  I  was  going 
to  talk  about."  Thus  father  Axley  went  on,  for  some 
time,  "boxing  the  compass,"  hitting  a  number  of  persons 


WISTEKN    METHODISM.  245 

and  things  that  he  was  not  going  to  talk  about,  and  hit- 
ting hard,  till  the  attention  and  curiosity  of  the  audience 
were  raised  to  their  highest  pitch,  when  finally  he  re- 
marked : 

" '  "The  thing  of  which  I  was  going  to  talk  was  chewing 
tobacco.  Now,  I  do  hope,  when  any  gentleman  comes  to 
church  who  can't  keep  from  using  tobacco  during  the 
hours  of  worship,  that  he  will  just  take  his  hat  and  use 
it  for  a  spit-box.  You  all  know  we  are  Methodists.  You 
all  know  that  our  custom  is  to  kneel  when  we  pray.  Now, 
any  gentleman  may  see,  in  a  moment,  how  exceedingly 
inconvenient  it  must  be  for  a  well-dressed  Methodist  lady 
to  be  compelled  to  kneel  down  in  a  puddle  of  tobacco 
spit.'* 

"'Now,'  said  Judge  White,  'at  this  time  I  had  in  my 
mouth  an  uncommonly  large  quid  of  tobacco.  Axley's 
singular  manner  and  train  of  remark  strongly  arrested 
my  attention.  While  he  was  stirring  to  the  right  and 
left,  hitting  those  "things"  that  he  was  not  going  to 
talk  about,  my  curiosity  was  busy  to  find  out  what  he 
could  be  aiming  at.  I  was  chewing  and  spitting  my  large 
quid  with  uncommon  rapidity,  and  looking  up  at  the 
preacher  to  catch  every  word  and  every  gesture — when  at 
last  he  pounced  upon  the  tobacco,  behold,  there  I  had  a 
great  puddle  of  tobacco  spit !  I  quietly  slipped  the  quid 
out  of  my  mouth,  and  dashed  it  as  far  as  I  could  under 
the  seats,  resolved  never  again  to  be  found  chewing  to- 
bacco in  the  Methodist  church.' " 

Axley  must  have  been  a  thorough  student  of  human 
nature,  as  was  generally  the  case  with  the  Methodist 
preachers  of  that  day.  Men  whose  profession  calls  them 
to  travel  in  all  sections  of  the  country,  and  mingle  with 
all  classes  of  society,  as  Methodist  preachers  have  to  do, 
must  be  dull  students  and  stupid  observers  of  men  and 
things,  if  they  don't  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with 

21* 


246  SKETCHES    OF 

men's  hearts  and  lives.  What  the  eccentric  Axley 
learned  in  the  wide  field  of  labor  before  him  he  put  to 
good  account,  and  thus  gave  evidence  that  he  was  not  like 
the  sage  of  olden  time,  who  mingled  with  the  world  only 
to  learn  its  follies  and  then  retired  to  his  cell  alone  to 
weep  over  them. 


WE8TEKN    METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

JOSEPH    OCHiISBY. 

IN  sketching  the  life  of  this  pioneer  preacher,  who,  for 
fifty  years,  toiled  in  the  wilds  of  the  west;  the  first  her- 
ald of  the  cross  that  ever  penetrated  the  wilderness  of 
Illinois  and  preached  the  Gospel  to  its  scattered  inhabit- 
ants, we  are  at  a  loss  for  materials  respecting  his  early 
life  and  conversion.  We  find  his  name  on  the  general 
Minutes  as  a  probationer  in  the  year  1804,  when,  as  we 
have  already  seen,  he  traveled  the  Miami  circuit  with  the 
Rev.  John  Sale.  The  Minutes  show  the  work  on  the 
Ohio  district  as  follows:  W.  Burke,  presiding  elder; 
Muskingum,  George  Askin  ;  Hockhocking,  James  Quinn^ 


John  Meek;  Scioto,  William  Pattison,  Nathan  Barnes; 
Miami,  John  Sale,  Joseph  Oglesby;  Guyandotte,  Asa 
Shinn. 

In  the  year  following  he  was  sent  into  the  wilderness 
in  the  then  distant  Illinois,  almost  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  white  population.  Having  preceded  Jesse  Walker,  a 
most  interesting  sketch  of  whose  labors,  in  that  distant 
region,  is  given  by  Bishop  Morris  in  his  "Miscellany," 
the  reader  has  only  to  refer  to  that  work  to  see  what 
must  have  been  the  toils  and  hardships  of  Oglesby  in 
planting  Methodism  among  the  semi-civilized  inhabit- 
ants. The  next  year  he  was  sent  to  Barren  circuit,  in 
the  Cumberland  district;  in  the  year  following  to  Shelby, 
in  the  Kentucky  district.  In  1808  he  was  sent  to  Nash- 
ville circuit,  with  David  Young  for  his  colleague,  and  the 
succeeding  year  to  Maramack,  in  Indiana.  At  the  close 


248  SKETCHES    OF 

of  this  year  he  located.  How  long  he  remained  in  a 
local  relation  to  the  Church  we  are  not  able  to  say  ex- 
actly. In  the  mean  time  he  was  engaged  as  a  practitioner 
of  medicine,  in  which  profession,  we  are  informed,  he 
•was  quite  successful.  His  zeal  and  industry  were  great, 
both  as  it  regarded  his  professional  engagements  in  the 
healing  art,  and  his  duties  as  a  preacher,  being  ready  at 
all  times  to  do  good  to  the  bodies  and  the  souls  of  men. 

In  the  year  1849  we  find  his  name  on  the  effective  list 
in  the  Indiana  conference.  That  year  he  was  stationed 
on  the  Martinsville  circuit.  The  next  year  his  name 
stands  on  the  Minutes  among  the  superannuated  preach- 
ers, and  the  presumption  is  that  his  age  and  feebleness 
were  such  as  to  disqualify  him  from  doing  fully  the  work 
of  an  itinerant,  and  rather  than  be  in  the  way  of  an 
effective  man  he  would  not  insist  on  being  regarded  as 
fully  adequate  for  the  work  when  he  was  not.  The  year 
1851  also  finds  him  among  the  superannuated.  Still  he 
traveled  extensively,  and  labored  whenever  opportunity 
presented;  and  frequently  his  pulpit  ministrations  were 
characterized  with  the  pathos  and  power  of  a  former  day. 
In  the  Minutes  of  1852,  in  answer  to  the  question  of  the 
South-Eastern  Indiana  conference,  "Who  have  died  this 
year?"  the  name  of  Joseph  Oglesby  stands  among  the 
number.  The  following  is  the  conference  memoir,  and 
though  short,  like  the  memoirs  of  the  deceased  preach- 
ers as  found  in  the  early  Minutes,  still  it  is  expressive  of 
his  character  and  labors  as  a  minister  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  serves  to  show  the  estimate  put  upon  him  as  a 
member  of  the  conference  : 

"REV.  JOSEPH  OGLESBY. — This  venerable  servant  of 
God  departed  this  life  April  9,  1852,  in  the  city  of  Lou- 
isville. 

"  We  regret  that  the  residence  of  his  family,  beyond 
the  bounds  of  this  conference,  has  prevented  us  from 


WESTKKJT    METHODISM. 

obtaining  materials  for  as  full  a  report  as  his  meritorious 
life  demands.  But  what  needs  it?  His  'witness  is  in 
heaven — his  record  is  on  high.'  There  dwell  many  seals 
to  his  ministry,  and  there  rests  his  happy  spirit. 

"  lie  was  a  pioneer  Methodist  minister.  Nearly  fifty 
years  ago  he  hegan  his  arduous  toils.  Ohio,  Kentucky, 
Indiana,  Illinois,  and  Missouri,  he  traversed,  preaching 
every-where  the  'Gospel  of  the  kingdom' — 'the  word  of 
this  salvation.'  No  history  of  Methodism  in  the  vast 
Mississippi  Valley  can  be  complete  which  does  not  speak 
largely  of  the  labors  of  Joseph  Oglesby.  Much  of  it 
'he  was.' 

"  In  the  days  of  his  strength  he  stood  among  the  strong 
men  of  Methodism.  'He  was  an  able  minister  of  the 
New  Testament.'  As  old  age  pressed  upon  him  his  zeal 
did  not  abate.  He  continued  in  his  superannuated  days 
to  preach  Jesus,  almost  every  Sabbath,  and  often  through 
the  week. 

"  The  last  Sabbath  before  his  short  and  fatal  illness, 
he  preached  with  great  power  from  '  0  that  thou  hadst 
hearkened  to  my  commandments;  then  had  thy  peace 
been  as  a  river,  and  thy  righteousness  as  the  waves  of 
the  sea.' 

"  He  died  with  his  armor  on,  and  fell  in  sight  of  glory. 
Many  shall  rise  up  and  call  him  blessed." 


250  SKETCHES   OF 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

WILLIAM    BEAUCHAMT. 

AMONG  the  bright  stars  which  shone  in  the  galaxy  of 
Methodism  in  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  was 
the  Rev.  William  Beauchamp.  After  filling  several  im- 
portant stations,  such  as  Pittsburg,  New  York,  Boston, 
etc.,  he  removed  to  the  west,  and  settled  on  the  Little 
Kanawha,  in  Western  Virginia.  Having,  in  early  life, 
received  a  good  English  and  classical  education,  he  de- 
voted himself,  in  his  local  sphere,  to  literary  pursuits. 
With  but  few  exceptions,  there  were  not  many  literary 
men  in  the  itinerant  ranks  in  those  days.  Those  were 
called,  as  a  general  thing,  into  the  ministry,  who  be- 
longed, like  the  early  founders  of  Christianity,  to  the 
toiling  classes  of  community.  They  were  taken  from  the 
plow,  the  loom,  the  bench,  and  the  anvil,  and,  with  the 
broad  seal  of  heaven's  commission  written  on  their  hearts, 
they  went  forth  to  draw  from  their  own  experience,  and 
the  uncommented  word  of  God,  those  soul-saving  truths 
which  brought  the  sinner  to  the  dust,  and  raised  the 
fallen  to  the  blessings  of  pardon  and  salvation. 

Still,  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  the  apostles  and  the  Ref- 
ormation, there  were  some  who  were  distinguished  for 
profound  literary  attainments,  and  of  this  number  was 
William  Beauchamp.  In  the  wilds  of  Virginia,  removed 
from  the  toil  of  itinerant  life,  in  which  he  had  woru 
himself  down,  he  passed  his  time  in  the  congenial  pur- 
euits  of  a  literary  life,  while  his  Sabbaths  were  occupied 
in  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  scattered  inhabitants  in 
all  the  region  round  about.  As  the  fruit  of  his  literary 


WESTERN  METHODISM.  251 

toils,  he  published  "Essays,"  in  Marietta,  in  the  year 
1811,  "on  the  Truth  of  the  Christian  Religion,  or  Evi- 
dences of  Christianity."  This  work  was  written  in  a 
graceful,  flowing  style,  and  would  do  honor  to  the  head 
and  heart  of  any  man.  It  gave  evidence  of  genius  and 
piety  of  a  high  degree,  and  was  extensively  read  and 
deservedly  popular.  His  production  gained  him  a  name 
as  a  writer  in  the  west,  and  it  was  not  long  till  his  serv- 
ices were  required  as  an  editor  of  a  religious  periodical. 
A  correspondence  was  opened  between  him  and  the  Ilev. 
Thomas  S.  Ilinde,  of  Chillicothe,  on  this  subject,  an 
account  of  which,  together  with  other  circumstances, 
furnished  by  the  latter,  we  will  give  in  his  own  words : 
"  The  writer  of  this  memoir,  with  a  number  of  his  re- 
ligious friends  and  acquaintances,  had  long  lamented  the 
prevalency  of  Arian  and  Pelagian  doctrines,  with  which 
the  Methodist  societies  at  this  time,  in  places,  were  much 
infested.  The  Rev.  Samuel  Parker,  in  1811,  1812,  and 
1813,  had  traveled  through  the  interior  of  Ohio.  The 
distinguished  talents  of  this  minister  of  grace,  connected 
with  the  sweet  temper  and  disposition  of  the  man,  had 
enabled  him  to  wield  the  scepter  of  the  Gospel  with  such 
signal  success  that  those  doctrines,  wherever  he  went, 
received  a  fatal  blow;  to  make  the  victory  full  and  com- 
plete, a  periodical  publication  was  thought  to  be  abso- 
lutely necessary;  through  which  medium  the  doctrines 
of  the  Church  might  be  disseminated.  Our  Methodist 
Magazine  had  long  since  been  discontinued,  and  no  dis- 
position appeared  to  be  manifested  to  revive  it.  These 
circumstances  had  induced  the  writer,  upon  his  own  re- 
sponsibility, to  issue  a  prospectus  for  a  periodical  relig- 
ious publication,  to  be  published  in  Chillicothe,  which  was 
designed  to  batter  down  those  absurd  notions,  so  preva- 
lent at  this  period.  Brother  Beauchamp  was  solicited  to 
undertake  it,  and  this,  connected  perhaps  with  other 


252  SKETCHES   OF 

circumstances,  induced  him  to  remove  to  Chillicothe, 
Ohio,  some  time  in  the  year  1815.  The  year  following — > 
1816 — that  excellent  periodical  work,  '  The  "Western 
Christian  Monitor,'  was  published  monthly.  Publica- 
tions of  this  kind  had  sprung  up  in  various  parts  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  name  of  this  forestalled;  so  that 
'Western'  was  added  by  way  of  distinction.  In  this 
publication  brother  Beauchamp  was  aided  by  the  writer 
of  this  memoir,  but  more  by  compilations  and  selections 
than  in  original  matter;  and  at  his  request  brother  Beau- 
champ  wrote  a  short  commentary  on  the  articles  of  relig- 
ion of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  was  pub- 
lished in  numbers.  The  Monitor  was  extensively 
circulated,  has  done  much  good,  and  the  bound  volumes 
are  now,  and  always  will  be,  a  valuable  acquisition  to  any 
library.  The  infant  state  of  the  western  country,  the 
difficulties  attending  the  distribution  of  the  work,  and, 
worse  than  all,  the  very  ill  state  of  brother  Beauchamp's 
health  at  this  time,  all  tended  greatly  to  discourage  him 
in  the  prosecution  of  it;  and  from  these  and  other  cir- 
cumstances, which  it  is  now  needless  to  mention,  at  the 
end  of  the  first  year  it  was  wholly  discontinued. 

"While  brother  Beauchamp  resided  in  Chillicothe,  he 
became  extensively  known,  and  to  the  Church  in  that 
place  very  useful;  his  persuasive  eloquence  and  his  solid 
piety  gained  him  many  friends  both  among  professors 
and  non-professors,  who  were  so  generally  impressed  with 
a  sense  of  his  real  worth,  that  his  name  is  now,  and  will 
long  be  had  in  remembrance;  and  but  little  doubt  is 
entertained  that  his  labors  in  this  place  paved  the  way 
for  that  great  and  glorious  revival  of  religion,  which 
commenced  soon  after  he  left  it  to  remove  to  Mount  Car- 
mel,  in  Illinois. 

"Those  lucid  intervals  during  the  ministry  of  the 
writer's  friends,  Mr.  Samuel  Parker  and  Mr.  William 


WESTERN"   METHODISM.  253 

Beauchamp — the  one  immediately  succeeding  the  other 
in  Chillicothe — in  his  associations  with  them  around  the 
country  in  different  places,  at  various  meetings,  he  now 
retrospects  as  the  happiest  period  of  his  life !  The 
tremulous  motions  of  the  late  calamitous  war  had  sub- 
sided, peace  reigned,  the  Gospel  spread  most  astonish- 
ingly; and  it  was  his  delight  to  hear,  at  one  time,  Parker 
as  the  Cicero,  and  at  another  Beauchamp  as  the  Demos- 
thenes, of  the  Church  in  the  west.  Pleasing,  yet 
melancholy  thought !  their  race  is  run,  and  these  two 
ministers  of  the  Church  have  left  us  to  mourn  for  our- 
selves! One  slumbers  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi, 
the  other  sweetly — for  the  present — reposes  on  the  hight* 
of  Peoli,  in  Indiana! 

1  Thus  the  men 

Whom  nature's  works  instruct,  with  God  himself 
Hold  converse ;  grow  familiar ;  act  upon  his  plan ; 
And  form  to  his  the  relish  of  their  souls !'  " 

"We  have  already  seen  that  the  subject  of  our  narrative 
had  closed  his  editorial  labors  and  removed  to  Mount 
Carmel,  Illinois.  Having  undertaken  the  agency  of  the 
new  settlement,  where  a  society  was  to  be  formed  on  the 
principle  of  elective  affinity,  he  commenced  the  work  of 
surveying  the  land,  laying  off  the  squares  and  streets, 
and  public  places  of  the  town.  The  lands  belonging  to 
the  company  were  exceedingly  fertile,  and  the  induce- 
ments offered  were  such  that  in  a  short  time  large  num- 
bers sought  this  El  Dorado  of  the  west.  All  was  a  wil- 
derness, but  active  preparations  were  made  for  clearing 
and  building.  On  the  holy  Sabbath  the  sound  of  a  trum- 
pet would  bring  the  people  together,  and  the  eloquent 
Beauchamp  would  charm  his  listening  auditors  with  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus.  And  they  were  a  highly-favored  con- 
gregation; for  no  preacher  in  the  splendid  churches  of 
the  large  cities  could  discourse  more  eloquently.  On 
oo 


25-i  SKETCHES    OF 

winter  evenings  lie  would  collect  together  the  youth  of 
the  neighborhood  and  instruct  them  in  the  various 
branches  of  a  solid  education.  His  information  was  ex- 
tensive and  general,  embracing  all  the  useful  departments 
of  knowledge,  and  his  services  were  sought  on  almost 
every  subject  involving  the  different  professions,  as  well 
as  the  mechanic  arts.  He  labored  to  make  himself  use- 
ful in  all  the  departments  of  life,  and  his  chief  aim 
seemed  to  be  to  advance  the  happiness  of  all.  Added  to 
all,  his  services  were  gratuitous,  and  none  could  complain 
of  exorbitant  professional  fees  when  his  opinion  or  serv- 
ices were  required.  He  literally  preached  and  toiled  for 
nothing,  finding  himself. 

We  once  knew  a  preacher  who  was  sent  to  a  poor  cir- 
cuit in  Ohio,  where,  at  the  first  quarterly  meeting,  there 
was  not  money  enough  raised  from  all  the  classes  to  pay 
the  traveling  expenses  of  one  of  the  preachers.  The 
prospect  was  so  gloomy,  in  regard  to  support,  that  the 
presiding  elder  gave  him  a  dispensation  that  he  might 
teach  a  school.  He  accordingly  gathered  together  about 
sixty  scholars,  ranging  from  A  13  C  up  to  mineralogy  and 
Latin.  From  each  scholar  he  received  a  small  sum,  to 
be  paid  in  store  goods  at  an  exorbitant  price;  but  as  he 
had  no  rent  to  pay,  being  permitted  to  occupy  an  old  log- 
cabin  that  was  tenantless,  he  managed  to  get  along.  On 
Sabbath  he  would  preach  to  the  people  of  the  neighbor- 
hood in  the  school-house.  It  happened  that  there  came 
along  a  Universalist  preacher,  who  was  anxious  to  en- 
lighten the  people  on  the  subject  of  religion,  and  he 
requested  the  privilege  of  preaching  in  the  school-house, 
which  was  granted.  The  burden  of  his  discourse  was  to 
expose  the  priestcraft  of  the  orthodox  clergy,  and  to  con- 
vince the  dear  people  that  they  were  terribly  priest-rid- 
den; that  these  fat,  sleek  Methodist  preachers  cared 
more  for  the  fleece  than  they  did  for  the  flock.  On  the 


WESTEKN    METHODISM.  255 

next  Sabbath,  after  the  school-teacher  had  preached,  an 
old  local  preacher,  who  lived  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
had  been  a  colleague  of  Bishop  Hedding  on  a  New  Eng- 
land circuit,  was  invited  to  close  the  exercises.  He  had 
heard  the  Universalist  the  Sabbath  before,  and  was  mak- 
ing a  reply,  at  the  Universalist's  invitation,  which  would 
have  completely  demolished  him,  had  not  the  meeting 
been  broken  up  by  a  drunken  man,  who  came  in  and 
ordered  him  out  of  the  pulpit.  On  rising  to  give  out  a 
hymn,  he  said  he  wished  to  make  a  remark.  "Last  Sab- 
bath/' said  he,  "we  heard  much  about  priestcraft,  and 
about  our  being  priest-ridden,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing. 
Well,  I  don't  think  we  have  much  reason  to  complain  of 
being  priest-ridden,  for  our  preacher  teaches  our  children, 
furnishes  wood  and  candles,  builds  the  fire,  sweeps  the 
house,  attends  our  sick,  buries  our  dead,  and  preaches  for 
nothing — all  for  nothing — lives  in  a  log-cabin  and  finds 
himself." 

Thus  it  was  with  Beauchamp.  He  was  surveyor,  law- 
yer, physician,  school-teacher,  mechanic,  and  preacher; 
and  his  services,  like  the  blessings  of  the  Gospel,  were 
without  money  and  without  price.  His  arduous  labors 
preyed  heavily  upon  his  delicate  constitution,  and  he  was 
obliged,  in  1821,  to  retire  to  his  farm,  about  three  miles 
from  Carmel.  Shortly  after  this  he  was  called  to  part 
with  his  son — his  only  son — in  the  thirteenth  year  of  his 
age.  He  was  a  bright  and  beautiful  boy,  tender  and 
affectionate  in  his  disposition,  and  beloved  by  all;  but 
Death,  who  loves  a  shining  mark,  claimed  him  as  his 
own,  and  he  fell  a  blighted  flower,  and  was  gathered  to 
the  tomb.  After  this  deep  affliction,  brother  Beauchamp 
re-entered  the  itinerant  ranks  in  the  Missouri  conference, 
and  was  stationed  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis.  In  this  sta- 
tion he  labored  with  great  success  for  one  year,  at  the 
expiration  of  which  time  he  was  appointed  presiding 


256  SKETCHES    OF 

elder  of  the  Indiana  district.  His  district  was  large, 
embracing  eleven  circuits,  and  covering  a  wide  extent 
of  territory,  where  lie  labored  with  zeal  untiring  in 
cultivating  the  vineyard  of  his  Lord  and  Master.  While 
on  this  district  he  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  General 
conference.  Such  was  the  estimate  put  upon  his  talents 
by  the  members  of  the  General  conference,  that  he  came 
within  a  few  votes  of  being  elected  to  the  Episcopacy. 
His  journey  to  Baltimore  and  the  severe  labor  connected 
with  the  district,  which  embraced  almost  the  entire  state 
of  Indiana,  were  too  great  for  his  constitution  to  bear, 
and  the  old  complaint,  under  which  he  had  suffered,  re- 
turned. In  a  very  feeble  state  of  health  he  was  taken 
to  his  fourth  quarterly  meeting,  which  was  on  the  camp- 
ground near  Peoli.  Here  he  became  worse,  but  gave  ad- 
vice and  attended  to  some  business.  From  this  place  he 
was  removed  to  Mr.  Craven's,  and  from  thence  to  Mr. 
Peck's,  at  Peoli,  where  he  would  be  more  convenient  to 
medical  aid.  All  efforts  that  medical  skill  could  make 
were,  however,  unavailing,  and  he  continued  to  sink 
under  the  power  of  disease  till,  at  the  expiration  of  six 
weeks  from  the  time  of  the  attack,  he  yielded  up  his 
spirit  into  the  hands  of  God.  His  death  was  tranquil, 
and,  with  the  bright  hopes  of  a  faithful  Christian,  he 
passed  over  the  swellings  of  Jordan.  His  funeral  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  Bishop  Roberts  from  the  text, 
"  Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of  his 
saints."  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  in  the  fifty- 
third  year  of  his  age. 

The  following  description  of  his  person  and  address, 
from  the  pen  of  his  intimate  friend,  T.  S.  Hinde,  will 
give  the  reader  a  correct  idea  of  the  learned  and  talented 
subject  of  our  sketch: 

"He  was  a  man  of  common  stature,  about  five  feet  ten 
inches  in  hight,  light  form,  dark,  or  auburn  hair,  rather 


WKSTKKN    METHODISM.  257 

of  a  sallow  complexion  and  thin  visage.  His  features 
were  remarkably  regular  and  round;  his  head,  forehead, 
and  face  were  well  proportioned ;  there  was  nothing  strik- 
ing in  the  appearance  either  of  his  nose  or  mouth,  both 
exhibiting  a  quite  common  appearance,  nor,  at  first  view, 
was  there  any  thing  remarkable  in  the  cast  of  his  eye; 
like  that  of  most  geniuses  it  seemed  to  slumber  in 
thought,  till  roused  to  action.  But  a  strict  observer,  par- 
ticularly  a  discerning  stranger,  would  discover  an  indica- 
tion therefrom  of  deep  thought  and  a  reflecting  mind; 
and  yet  a  reserve  bordering  on  austerity.  While  his  eye 
was  watchful  and  vigilant,  a  strict  and  rigid  observer  of 
passing  events,  it  was  apparently  hid  and  retired  where 
caution  and  prudence  were  deemed  necessary.  This  was 
its  cast  to  a  stranger;  but  to  an  acquaintance  or  a  friend 
he  was  free  and  open.  His  gait  was  generally  slow,  but 
when  in  health  his  motions  were  more  rapid.  He  was 
very  uniform  in  his  conduct,  and  systematic  in  his  de- 
portment; yet  no  man  was  ever  a  more  pleasant  and 
agreeable  member  of  society,  adapting  his  language  and 
conversation  to  the  state  and  capacities  of  each,  being 
perfectly  at  home  among  the  high  or  the  low,  the  rich  or 
the  poor.  Though  apparently  pensive  and  reserved,  yet 
there  was  no  man  more  pleasnnt,  communicative,  and 
cheerful.  In  a  company  of  select  friends  he  was  in  his 
element,  and  his  soul  then  appeared  expanded  as  at  a 
mental  feast.  His  dark  hazel  eye  would  rise  from  its  ap- 
parent languor,  and  sparkle  with  beams  of  light.  His 
countenance,  like  the  sun  breaking  forth  from  a  parting 
cloud,  would  assume  a  lovely  sprightliness,  as  if  to  cheer 
the  spirits  of  those  with  whom  he  delighted  to  be  asso- 
ciated; for  he  took  great  pleasure  in  the  society  of  his 
friends. 

"Mr.  Beauchamp  in  his  friendship  was   steady  and 
uniform,  on  no  occasion  yielding  his  regard  for  one  till 
'  22* 


258  SKETCHES    OF 

he  was  well  satisfied  that  his  confidence  was  misplaced. 
He  had  a  little  stoop  of  the  shoulders,  and  when  speaking 
in  public  his  gestures  were  natural  and  easy.  His  voice 
was  very  uniform,  remarkably  soft  in  social  conversation, 
but  in  argument  energetic.  In  his  preaching,  when 
holding  out  the  promises  and  the  invitations  of  the  Gos- 
pel, there  was  a  soft  tenderness,  a  sweetness  in  his  voice, 
produced  frequently  by  gentle  breaks,  as  if  the  rising 
sympathies  of  his  soul  obstructed,  in  some  degree,  his 
utterance;  when  a  gentle,  thrilling  sensation  appeared  to 
move  a  listening  multitude,  all  bending  forward  to  catch 
every  sentence  or  word  as  it  fell  from  his  lips.  This  cir- 
cumstance has  frequently  been  admired.  But  when  he 
became  argumentative,  and  discussed  doctrinal  points,  or 
when  false  doctrines  were  attacked,  the  tone  of  his  voice 
was  elevated,  his  whole  system  became  nerved,  and  his 
voice  assumed  a  deep  hollow  tone,  and  then  soon  became 
elevated  to  its  highest  key,  and  fell  like  peals  of  thunder 
on  the  ears  of  a  listening  assembly.  On  one  occasion  the 
force  of  his  powerful  eloquence  was  fully  demonstrated; 
it  was  on  a  subject  of  controversy.  His  antagonist,  who 
had  sat  and  listened  for  some  length  of  time  to  argu- 
ments too  powerful  for  him  to  answer,  began  to  look  as  if 
the  voice  which  he  now  heard  came  from  another  world, 
through  the  shadow  of  a  man;  he  rose,  apparently  with 
a  view  to  leave  the  house,  but  being  so  overcome  he  stag- 
gered, caught  by  the  railing,  reeled,  and  fell  to  his  seat, 
and  there  sat,  overwhelmed  and  confounded,  till  the  dis- 
course was  concluded,  when  he  quietly  stepped  from  the 
house.  His  manner  of  preaching  was  plain,  seldom  di- 
viding his  subject  into  different  heads,  but  took  the  natu- 
ral division  of  the  text.  He  would  indeed  branch  out  on 
his  subject,  but  it  was  so  natural  and  easy,  and  done  in 
such  a  way  as  appeared  to  unfold  new  beauties  in  ths 
Gospel.  His  sermons  were  deep,  and  made  a  lasting  im- 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  259 

pression  upon  the  mind,  because  they  were  both  practical 
and  doctrinal.  Holiness  was  his  theme;  there  was  sel- 
dom a  shout  raised  in  the  assembly  under  his  preaching, 
but  always  strict  attention  paid  to  his  discourses,  and 
every  eye  fixed  upon  the  speaker;  and,  frequently,  the 
people  all  bathed  in  tears." 


260  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

GOVERNOR     TIFFIN. 

THE  following  interesting  sketch  of  the  life  of  Ed- 
ward Tiffin,  the  first  Governor  of  the  state  of  Ohio, 
has  been  kindly  furnished  us  by  Samuel  Williams,  Esq., 
to  whose  correct  and  graphic  pen  Methodism  is  largely 
indebted  for  historical  recollections. 

"Edward  Tiffin  was  born  in  the  town  of  Carlisle,  Cum- 
berland county,  England,  a  few  miles  south  of  the  border 
of  Scotland,  June  19,  1766.  His  education  was  limited 
to  the  ordinary  branches  of  a  common  English  course,  as 
his  parents  were  in  moderate  circumstances  and  unable 
to  educate  him  better.  At  an  early  age  he  commenced 
the  study  of  medicine;  and  in  1784,  at  the  age  of  about 
eighteen  years,  before  he  had  completed  his  medical 
course,  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in 
Charlestown,  Berkley — now  Jefferson — county,  Virginia, 
whither  his  parents  and  all  the  family  soon  afterward 
removed.  Having  finished  the  study  of  medicine,  under 
a  distinguished  physician,  whose  name  I  have  forgotten, 
Mr.  Tiffin,  while  yet  very  young,  commenced  the  practice; 
and  by  his  skill  and  success  in  his  profession,  he  soon 
acquired  a  high  character  and  standing  as  a  physician. 

"  His  natural  buoyancy  of  spirit  and  great  vivacity,  his 
sprightliness  of  temperament  and  pleasing  manners,  to- 
gether with  his  engaging  conversational  powers,  and  his 
active  and  agile  movements,  made  him  the  favorite  in  the 
fashionable  and  gay  circles  around  him,  and  the  life  and 
soul  of  the  company  wherever  he  was  present.  In  1789, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  261 

when  about  twenty-three  years  old,  he  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  Worthington,  daughter  of  Mr.  Robert 
Worthington,  near  Charlestown,  and  sister  of  the  late 
Governor  Thomas  Worthington,  of  Ohio.  The  year  fol- 
lowing Dr.  Tiffin  and  his  wife,  were  attracted  by  curiosity, 
perhaps,  to  hear  the  Rev.  Lewis  Chastain  and  Rev. 
Thomas  Scott,  the  two  Methodist  preachers  stationed  that 
year  on  Berkley  circuit,  and  whose  fame  brought  out  large 
congregations  to  hear  them.  Mr.  Scott,  by  his  preach- 
ing, and  especially  by  his  youthfulness — being  then  only 
eighteen  years  old — attracted  particular  notice.  The 
truth  reached  the  heart  and  conscience  of  the  Doctor, 
and  he  was  received  into  the  Church  as  a  probationer  by 
Mr.  Scott,  who  thus  notices  the  circumstance  in  his  'His- 
torical Recollections/  in  the  Western  Christian  Advocate 
of  June  8,  1853 : 

"'After  preaching  at  Hite's  Chapel,  the  first  round  I 
took  on  the  [Berkley]  circuit,  I  was  invited  by  Mr.  John 
Anderson,  grandfather  of  the  late  Rev.  Mr.  Anderson,  of 
the  Ohio  conference,  deceased,  to  preach  in  Charlestown, 
situated  about  four  miles  distant,  the  next  time  I  came 
round.  I  consented  and  appointed  to  preach  there  on 
the  Sabbath.  Mr.  Anderson  and  his  wife  belonged  to 
the  class  at  Hite's  Chapel,  but  resided  in  Charlestown. 
In  the  interval  between  that  and  the  time  appointed  for 
preaching,  several  prayer  meetings  were  held  at  Mr.  An- 
derson's, during  which  they  were  greatly  disturbed  by 
mobs. 

"  'The  day  named  for  the  purpose  was  beautiful,  and  1 
preached  to  a  large,  attentive  congregation,  in  a  grove 
near  the  town.  When  I  had  concluded,  I  notified  the 
congregation  that  it  was  my  wish  to  form,  on  that  day,  a 
Methodist  society  or  class  in  that  town,  and  invited  all 
who  were  determined  to  flee  the  wrath  to  come  and  be 
saved  from  their  sins,  to  meet  me  at  the  house  of  Mr. 


262  SKETCHES    OF 

Anderson  at  an  hour  named.  Before  the  hour  had  arrived 
Dr.  Edward  Tiffin  came  into  the  room  where  I  was  sit- 
ting and  commenced  a  conversation  with  me.  Being  a 
stranger  to  me,  and  not  knowing  but  that  he  had  been 
one  of  those  who  had  favored  the  mobs,  I  conversed  with 
him  cautiously.  He,  however,  remained,  and  several 
others  soon  collected.  After  singing,  prayer,  and  an  ex- 
hortation, I  gave  an  invitation  to  those  who  wished  to 
become  members  to  come  forward  and  announce  their 
names.  The  Doctor  was  standing  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  room  fronting  me.  I  had  not  perceived  that  he  was 
affected;  but  the  moment  I  gave  the  invitation  he  quickly 
stepped  forward,  evidently  under  deep  and  pungent  con- 
viction, roaring  almost  with  anguish,  and  asked  for  ad- 
mission into  our  Church.  He  was  admitted;  and  before 
I  had  completed  that  round  on  the  circuit,  he  had 
preached  several  sermons.'  In  another  place  the  Judge 
writes:  l Immediately  after  I  had  received  Dr.  Tiffin  into 
the  Church  he  became  convinced  of  his  call  to  the  min- 
istry. Conferring  not  with  flesh  and  blood,  and  without 
Waiting  for  a  license,  he  immediately  commenced  preach- 
ing. One  of  the  places  selected  by  him  for  that  purpose 
•was  Bullskin.  There  his  ministerial  labors,  as  also  the 
labors  of  the  Revs.  Lewis  Chastain  and  Valentine  Cook, 
were  greatly  blessed.  A  very  large  class  of  lively,  excel- 
lent members  was  formed,  who  met  at  the  house  of  old 
Mr.  Smith,  father  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Smith/  of  Pilgrim's 
Rest,  near  Baltimore.  Mr.  Smith,  in  his  ' Recollections/ 
speaks  of  Dr.  Tiffin's  preaching  as  'pathetic  and  powerful/ 
But  although  the  Doctor  commenced  preaching  before 
receiving  license  for  that  purpose,  it  was  evident  that  he 
had  not  run  before  he  was  sent.  Not  only  did  the  love 
of  Christ  constrain  him  to  proclaim  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  his  Gospel,  but  the  divine  call  to  the  ministry 
was  so  powerfully  impressed  upon  his  mind  that  he  dared 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  263 

not,  at  his  peril,  disobey  it.  Yet  the  cross  was  almost 
insupportably  heavy,  and  he  had,  at  first,  well  nigh  sunk 
under  it.  The  Doctor  told  me  himself,  more  than  thirty- 
five  years  ago,  that,  attending  at  one  of  his  appointments — 
perhaps  one  of  the  first  that  had  been  made  for  him — 
seeing  the  people  flock  in  in  multitudes,  and  knowing 
that  mere  curiosity  to  hear  him  preach  had  brought  most 
of  them  out,  his  heart  failed  within  him.  lie  slipped 
out  some  half  an  hour  before  the  time  appointed  for  com- 
mencing the  meeting,  and  hastily  retired  to  a  deep  forest 
near  at  hand,  with  the  intention  of  hiding  himself  till 
the  congregation  should  become  tired  of  waiting  and  dis- 
perse. But  it  would  not  do.  He  could  not  flee  from  the 
vivid  conviction  which  seemed  to  sound  in  his  ear  like 
thunder,  and  thrill  like  lightning  through  all  his  soul. 
(A  dispensation  of  the  Gospel  is  committed  to  me,  and 
woe  is  unto  me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel.'  In  his  agony 
the  perspiration  fell  in  large  drops  from  his  face,  and  his 
garments  were  wet  with  its  profuse  flow.  He  felt  almost 
involuntarily  impelled  to  return  to  the  house  which  was 
now  full  to  overflowing,  and  great  numbers  outside. 
Scarcely  able  to  stand,  the  Doctor — like  one  of  his  dis- 
tinguished predecessors  in  the  ministry,  the  first  time  he 
preached  at  Corinth — commenced  the  service  'in  weak- 
ness, and  in  fear,  and  in  much  trembling.'  But  he  soon 
felt  divinely  aided,  and  threw  off  the  incubus  which 
seoined  to  press  him  to  the  earth,  and  he  preached  with 
great  liberty;  and  if  his  'speech  and  his  preaching  was 
not  with  enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom,'  yet  it  was  <in 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  of  power  j'  for  sinners 
were  cut  to  the  heart,  and  God  honored  his  servant  in 
the  sight  of  all  the  people. 

"About  two  years  after  Dr.  Tiffin  began  to  preach,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  office  of  a  deacon  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  by  Bishop  Asbury,  by  whom  he  was 


264:  SKETCHES    OF 

ordained  on  the  19th  of  November,  1792,  as  appears  by 
the  Bishop's  parchment  of  ordination,  of  that  date,  now 
before  me.  At  that  period  the  Discipline  authorized  the 
Bishop  to  ordain  local  preachers  to  the  order  of  deacons, 
on  a  testimonial  of  the  requisite  qualifications,  signed  by 
three  elders,  three  deacons,  and  three  traveling  preach- 
ers. But  in  the  case  of  Dr.  Tiffin — as  I  learned,  either 
from  the  Doctor  himself,  or  one  of  his  sisters — this  for- 
mality "was  dispensed  with;  and  the  good  Bishop,  who 
greatly  loved  the  Doctor,  on  the  occasion  of  a  visit  at  his 
house,  voluntarily  and  without  the  solicitation  or  sugges- 
tion of  any  one,  conferred  upon  him,  impromptu,  by  reg- 
ular ordination,  the  office  of  deacon. 

"In  1796  Dr.  Tiffin  removed  to  and  settled  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Chillicothe,  in  the  territory  north-west  of  the  Ohio 
river.  That  village  had  been  laid  out  but  a  short  time 
before  by  General  Nathaniel  Massie,  and  most  of  it  was 
yet  covered  with  a  dense  forest.  The  Doctor  selected  a 
four  acre  out-lot  at  the  upper  end  of  the  town  for  his  res- 
idence, and  built  thereon  the  first  house  erected  in  town 
which  was  graced  with  a  shingle  roof.  He  continued  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  Chillicothe  and  the  surrounding 
country,  attending  promptly,  as  far  as  practicable,  to  all 
calls  for  professional  services,  encountering  often  severe 
sufferings  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  in  long 
and  fatiguing  rides  on  horseback,  on  dark  nights  over 
wretched  roads,  or,  rather,  no  roads  at  all,  crossing  swollen 
streams  with  dangerous  fords,  and  with  the  full  knowl- 
edge, frequently,  that  the  patient  was  too  poor  to  make 
him  any  remuneration  for  his  services  and  medicines.  It 
was  his  custom,  whenever  practicable,  to  pray  with  hia 
patients,  and  administer  to  them  suitable  religious  coun- 
sel and  instruction;  and  these  exercises  were  usually  ac- 
companied with  good  effect.  In  obstetric  cases  this  was 
especially  his  practice;  and  in  protracted  casea  of  this 


WESTERN     METHODISM.  265 

nature,  he  has  been  known  to  engage  in  fervent  prayer 
with  and  for  the  patient  twice  or  thrice,  or  oftener. 
His  example  of  praying  with  his  patients  would  be  well 
worthy  of  imitation  by  all  pious  physicians.  This,  we 
believe,  a  portion  of  them  do. 

"  Notwithstanding  his  extensive  and  laborious  practice 
as  a  physician,  Doctor  Tiffin  found  time  to  labor  much 
and  zealously,  and  with  great  usefulness,  in  his  Lord's 
vineyard.  He  had  his  regular  Sabbath  appointments  for 
preaching  in  the  country — for  there  was  then  no  opening 
for  it  in  town — and  his  ministry  was  signally  blest  to  his 
congregations.  One  of  his  regular  preaching-places  was 
at  Anthony  Davenport's,  on  Deer  creek,  twelve  miles 
north  of  Chillicothe.  Here  he  had  a  large  congregation, 
and  organized  a  flourishing  society  long  before  any  of  the 
traveling  preachers  had  visited  that  part  of  the  country. 
The  Rev.  Henry  Smith,  in  his  *  Recollections  of  an  old 
itinerant ' — p.  326 — who  visited  that  society  in  October, 
1799,  speaks  warmly  of  its  prosperous  condition.  Mr. 
Smith,  in  the  same  connection,  adds  :  '  Monday,  October 
4th.  I  rode  down  the  river  to  Chillicothe,  and  put  up  with 
Doctor  Tiffin,  with  whom  I  had  been  long  acquainted, 
[in  Virginia.]  The  Doctor  had  often  preached  in  our 
neighborhood,  and  sometimes  at  my  father's.  He  and 
his  excellent  wife  received  me  as  a  messenger  of  Christ, 
and  treated  me  with  great  kindness.  Sister  Tiffin  was 
one  of  the  most  conscientious  and  heavenly-minded  women 
I  ever  saw.  She  was  a  mother  in  our  Israel  indeed. 
About  that  time  a  report  was  put  in  circulation  that  the 
Doctor  had  given  up  his  religion.  He  laughed  at  it,  and 
said,  "It  would  not  do  for  me  to  backslide;  for  my  wife 
would  let  me  have  no  peace."  The  Doctor,  however, 
refused  to  take  any  part  in  religious  exercises  in  Chilli- 
cothe out  of  his  own  family.  He  had  his  reasons  for  it.' 
Those  'reasons,'  it  would  seem,  were  considered  by  Mr. 
op. 


266  SKETCHES    OF 

Smith  valid.  They  probably  grew  out  of  the  'report' 
mentioned  by  him,  which,  I  suppose,  'was  put  in  circu- 
lation' by  some  narrow-minded  and  malicious  persons, 
through  envy  or  jealousy,  because  of  the  Doctor's  deserv- 
edly great  popularity. 

"  About  the  time  Mr.  Smith  speaks  of — autumn  of 
1799 — Dr.  Tiffin  was  elected  a  member  of  the  territorial 
Legislature.  The  North- Western  territory  then  embraced 
all  the  country  lying  north-west  of  the  Ohio  river  and 
east  of  the  Mississippi;  and  delegates  were  in  attend- 
ance from  the  isolated  settlements  of  Kaskaskia,  on  the 
Mississippi,  at  Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  and  at  De- 
troit, in  Michigan.  Solomon  Sibley  represented  the 
latter  in  the  territorial  Legislature.  Mr.  Sibley  and  the 
Doctor  took  prominent  parts  in  the  debates;  and  were 
frequently  on  opposite  sides  in  the  discussions.  The 
former  was  cool,  deliberate,  and  logical  in  debate;  while 
the  latter,  though  not  less  logical  and  conclusive  in  his 
argument,  was  exceedingly  animated  and  ardent  in  his 
feelings,  and  would  sometimes,  unguardedly,  expose  him- 
self to  the  keen  retorts  of  his  philosophic  opponent. 
Some  sixteen  or  eighteen  years  after  this  period,  I  was 
present  when  Mr.  Sibley,  on  his  return  from  a  session  of 
Congress,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  paid  a  visit  to  Dr. 
Tiffin,  in  Chillicothe.  Their  service  together  in  the  ter- 
ritorial Legislature  was  alluded  to,  when  the  Doctor  very 
pleasantly  remarked,  'In  our  debates,  Mr.  Sibley,  I  wished 
a  thousand  times  that  I  could  have  the  same  calm,  philo- 
sophic, and  imperturbable  spirit  which  you  possessed.  I 
saw  and  felt  the  advantage  which  it  gave  you  over  me 
when  we  happened  to  come  into  collision.'  'I  hope,  Doc- 
tor,' replied  Mr.  Sibley,  'that  I  never  said  any  thing, 
when  replying  to  you,  that  was  in  any  way  personally 
offensive?'  'Not  at  all/  rejoined  the  Doctor;  'the 
marked  respect  which  you  always  showed  toward  those 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  267 

opposed  to  you  in  debate,  could  not  but  command  my  ad- 
miration, and  often  filled  me  with  keen  regret  at  the 
unguarded  expressions  which  escaped  me  in  the  heat  of 
debate.'  Mr.  Sibley  laughingly  replied,  'I  well  remem- 
ber, Doctor,  how  often  I  have  wished  that  I  could  infuse 
into  my  remarks  on  the  floor  the  same  ardor  of  feeling 
which  was  displayed  in  your  speeches.'  The  interview 
was  a  very  pleasant  one  to  both  these  gentlemen. 

"  Mr.  Sibley  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Michigan, 
whither  he  emigrated  from  Massachusetts,  his  native 
state.  lie  was  a  prominent,  useful,  and  influential  citi- 
zen, and  held  successively  several  important  offices,  both 
under  the  territorial  and  state  governments.  He  died  at 
Detroit  some  years  since. 

"In  the  autumn  of  1802  an  election  was  held  to  choose 
delegates  to  the  convention  which  adopted  the  first  Con- 
stitution, and  formed  a  state  government  for  Ohio.  Dr. 
Tiffin  was  elected  one  of  the  delegates  from  lloss  county; 
and  on  the  meeting  of  the  convention  he  was  chosen  its 
President,  the  duties  of  which  office  he  discharged  with 
much  ability  and  great  satisfaction.  The  members  were 
chosen  for  their  honesty  and  capacity.  They  came  to- 
gether as  business  men,  and  without  wasting  their  time 
in  speeches  '  for  Buncombe/  they  went  earnestly  to 
work,  and  in  thirty  days  framed  an  excellent  Constitution, 
which  served  the  state  for  nearly  half  a  century,  a  mon- 
ument of  the  wisdom  of  its  founders. 

"The  next  year,  when  the  chief  Executive  of  the  state 
was  to  be  chosen  under  the  new  Constitution,  the  eyes  of 
the  people  were  turned  to  Dr.  Tiffin,  and  he  was  elected 
their  first  Governor  without  opposition,  I  believe.  Two 
years  afterward,  when  his  term  of  service  expired,  he 
was  re-elected  to  the  same  office. 

"It  was  during  Governor  Tiffin's  second  term  of  office, 
near  the  close  of  1806,  that  the  conspiracy  of  Aaron 


268  SKETCHES   OF 

Burr  was  developed.  His  object  was  either  a  severance 
of  the  western  states  from  the  Union,  or  to  seize  upon 
that  portion  embraced  in  Louisiana,  lately  ceded  by 
France  to  the  United  States.  Burr  had  procured,  at  dif- 
ferent points  on  the  upper  Ohio,  a  great  number  of  flat- 
boats,  and  secretly  freighted  them  with  a  large  quantity 
of  provisions  and  munitions  of  war.  These  boats  were 
to  rendezvous,  at  a  given  time,  at  Blennerhassett's  Island. 
Governor  Tiffin,  on  obtaining  information  of  Burr's  move- 
ments, promptly  dispatched  an  express  to  the  military 
commandant  at  Marietta,  with  orders  to  call  out  a  strong 
militia  force,  armed  and  equipped  for  service,  and  post 
them,  with  all  expedition,  at  a  given  point  below  Blcu- 
nerhassett's  Island,  where  the  channel  would  oblige  the 
boats  to  pass  very  near  to  the  Ohio  side  of  the  river.  The 
order  was  promptly  executed ;  and  before  Burr  had  any 
knowledge  of  the  movement,  the  armed  force  to  intercept 
his  fleet  was  at  the  narrows,  with  a  small  battery  of  light 
field  artillery.  To  pass  this  battery  was  found  impossible; 
and  Burr  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  expedition,  and 
make  his  escape  to  parts  unknown.  As  an  interesting 
fragment  of  history  pertaining  to  this  affair,  I  insert  the 
following,  clipped  from  the  New  York  Standard,  an  old 
newspaper : 

u<It  is  well  known  that  Burr,  defeated  in  his  efforts  to 
divide  and  crush  the  republican  party,  planned  a  con- 
spiracy, having  for  its  object  the  severance  of  the  Union, 
and  that  in  December,  1806,  various  parties  of  men  col- 
lected by  him,  and  brought  over  to  his  views,  embarked 
upon  the  Ohio  river,  and  were  to  rendezvous  at  Blenner- 
hassett's Island,  which  was  the  great  point  of  concentra- 
tion and  depot,  whence  the  expedition  was  to  go  forth  to 
accomplish  its  nefarious  project.  But  Mr.  Jefferson,  then 
at  the  head  of  the  Government,  had  not  been  an  inactive 
observer  of  these  proceedings.  He  dispatched  a  messen- 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  269 

ger,  Mr.  John  Graham,  into  the  western  country,  to  put 
himself  in  communication  with  the  executives  and  leg- 
islatures of  the  several  states,  and  to  urge  the  adoption 
of  such  measures  as  might  be  necessary  to  arrest  the  con- 
spiracy. The  authorities  of  Ohio  immediately  put  them- 
selves in  action.  A  law  was  passed  unanimously,  for 
calling  out  the  militia,  and  vesting  all  necessary  powers 
in  the  Governor,  and  an  address  was  transmitted  to  Mr. 
Jefferson,  assuring  him  of  the  confidence  of  the  people 
of  Ohio  in  his  administration,  and  of  their  determina- 
tion to  put  down  all  efforts  to  sever  the  Union.  The 
then  Governor,  Mr.  Tiffin,  acted  with  promptitude.  The 
people  responded  by  one  simultaneous  expression  against 
the  adventurer  thus  aiming  a  fatal  blow  at  the  liberties 
of  our  country.  The  militia  were  called  out,  many  of 
the  persons  engaged  in  the  enterprise  were  arrested,  and 
the  whole  project  was  defeated. 

" '  We  have  lately  turned  to  the  files  of  the  National 
Intelligencer,  and  found  the  following  proceedings  which 
it  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  read.  The  admirable  let- 
ter to  Mr.  Jefferson  can  not  fail  to  commend  itself  to  the 
country,  as  well  for  its  beautiful  tone  as  for  its  truly- 
republican  sentiments. 

"  '"CHILLICOTHE,  December  26,  1806. 

"  '"On  Thursday  last  Mr.  Lewis  Cass  introduced  the  fol 
lowing  resolution,  which  was  agreed  to,  and  passed  both 
houses  without  one  dissenting  voice : 

"'"Resolved,  unanimously,  by  the  General  Assembly  of 
the  state  of  Ohio,   that  the  Governor  be  requested  to 
transmit  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  the  fol- 
lowing address: 
"'"To  Thomas  Jefferson,  Esq.,  President  of  the  United 

States : 

i  * 

"f"Sm, — At  a  time  when  the  public  mind  throughout 
the  Union  is  acitated  with  alarming  reports  respecting 

23* 


270  SKETCHES    OF 

the  existence  and  designs  of  a  party  hostile  to  the  wel- 
fare and  prosperity  of  our  country,  we  deem  it  a  duty 
incumbent  on  us  to  express  to  the  Executive  of  the 
Union  our  attachment  to  the  Government  of  the  United 
States,  and  our  confidence  in  its  administration.  What- 
ever may  be  the  intentions  of  desperate  and  abandoned 
men  respecting  the  destruction  of  that  Constitution 
which  has  raised  us  to  our  present  elevated  rank  among 
the  nations  of  the  world,  and  which  is  our  only  security 
for  the  future,  we  trust  they  will  find  very  few  advocates 
in  the  state  of  Ohio.  We  express  the  feelings  and  opin- 
ions of  our  constituents,  when  we  say  that  no  arts  of 
intriguing  men — no  real  or  visionary  prospects  of  advant- 
age, will  ever  induce  us  to  sever  that  bond  of  union, 
which  is  our  only  security  against  domestic  violence  and 
foreign  invasion. 

"  '  "Believing  that  the  fundamental  maxims  of  rational 
liberty  have  guided  you  in  the  administration  of  our  Gov- 
ernment, we  hesitate  not  to  express  our  full  and  entire 
confidence  in  your  councils  and  conduct.  Enjoying  every 
blessing  which,  as  men  and  citizens,  we  could  desire,  and 
in  a  country  fertile  in  nature's  choicest  gifts,  we  could 
deem  it  presumptuous,  indeed,  to  hazard,  by  intestine 
dissensions,  these  incalculable  advantages.  We  trust 
that  public  rumor  has  magnified  the  danger;  but  should 
the  design  in  agitation  be  as  destructive  as  represented, 
we  have  no  doubt  that  all  fears  will  shortly  be  dissipated 
before  the  [indignation  of  our  citizens.  That  you  may 
long  live  to  enjoy  the  confidence  and  attachment  of  tho 
American  people,  is  the  sincere  and  unanimous  wish  of 
the  Legislature  of  Ohio." 
<c  'Reply  of  Mr.  Jefferson  to  the  Governor  of  Ohio : 

"'"WASHINGTON,  February  2,  1807. 

"<"SiR, — The  pressing  business,  during  a  session  of; 
the  Legislature,  has  rendered  rne  more  tardy  in  addressing 


WE8TJSKN    METHODISM.  271 

you  than  it  was  my  wish  to  have  been.  That  our  fellow- 
citizens  of  the  west  would  need  only  to  be  informed  of 
criminal  machinations  against  the  public  safety,  to  crush 
them  at  once,  I  never  entertained  a  doubt. 

""•'I  have  seen,  with  the  greatest  satisfaction,  that 
among  those  who  have  distinguished  themselves  by  their 
fidelity  to  their  country,  on  the  occasion  of  the  enterprise 
of  Mr.  Burr,  yourself  and  the  Legislature  of  Ohio  have  been 
the  most  eminent;  the  promptitude  and  energy  displayed 
by  your  state  has  been  as  honorable  to  itself,  as  salutary  to 
its  sister  states ;  and  in  declaring  that  you  have  deserved 
most  of  your  country,  I  do  but  express  the  grateful  senti- 
ments of  every  fellow-citizen  in  it.  The  hand  of  the 
people  has  given  a  mortal  blow  to  a  conspiracy  which,  in 
other  countries,  would  have  called  for  an  appeal  to  arms, 
and  has  proved  that  government  to  be  the  strongest* of 
which  every  man  feels  himself  a  part.  It  is  a  happy 
illustration,  too,  of  the  importance  of  preserving  to  the 
state  authorities  all  that  vigor  which  the  Constitution 
foresaw  would  be  necessary,  not  only  for  their  own  safety, 
but  for  that  of  the  whole. 

"'"In  making  these  acknowledgments  of  the  merit  of 
having  set  this  illustrious  example  of  exertion  for  the 
common  safety,  I  pray  that  they  may  be  considered  as 
addressed  to  yourself  and  the  Legislature  particularly, 
and  generally  to  every  citizen  who  has  availed  himself 
of  the  opportunity  given,  of  proving  his  devotion  to  his 
country. 

"'"Accept  my  salutations  and  assurances  of  great  con- 
sideration and  esteem. 

[Signed,]  "'"THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 

"'"His  Excellency,  GOVERNOR  TIFFIN."' 

"At  the  session  of  the  Legislature  in  1806-7,  Gov- 
ernor Tiffin  was  chosen  senator  in  Congress,  in  place  of 
Thomas  Wortbington,  whose  term  expired  the  4th  of 


272  SKETCHES    OF 

March  following.  Dr.  Tiffin  took  his  seat  in  the  senate 
in  December,  1807.  Early  in  the  following  year  he  suf- 
fered a  great  bereavement  in  the  death  of  his  excellent 
and  pious  wife.  Mrs.  Tiffin  embraced  religion,  and  united 
herself  to  the  Church  at  or  about  the  same  time  with  the 
Doctor.  She  was  a  most  devoted  and  deeply-experienced 
Christian,  loved  and  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  her.  She 
was  a  great  favorite  of  the  venerated  Bishop  Asbury,  who 
speaks  in  the  highest  terms  of  her  in  his  journal.  This 
event  probably  determined  the  Doctor  to  retire  from  pub- 
lic life.  Accordingly,  after  the  close  of  the  session  of 
the  Congress,  which  terminated  on  the  third  of  March, 
1809,  he  resigned  his  seat  in  the  senate,  and  returned 
to  the  peaceful  retirement  of  private  life.  Early  in  the 
spring  of  this  year,  after  his  retirement  from  the  senate, 
he  removed  to  his  beautiful  farm  on  Deer  creek,  about 
eight  miles  north  of  Chillicothe,  where  he  enjoyed  the 
sweets  of  rural  life  in  the  cultivation  of  the  rich  alluvial 
land  on  that  stream.  Soon  after  this  he  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Mary  Porter,  of  Twin  township,  in  the 
same — Ross — county;  an  amiable,  pious,  and  highly- 
respectable  young  lady,  who,  by  her  estimable  qualities, 
and  sweetness  of  spirit,  filled  the  measure  of  his  domes- 
tic happiness. 

"  The  Doctor,  however,  was  not  permitted  a  long  respite 
from  public  life.  At  the  general  election  in  October  fol- 
lowing his  retirement  from  the  United  States  senate,  his 
fellow-citizens  of  Ross  county  called  him  to  represent 
them  in  the  popular  branch  of  the  Legislature.  The 
session  was  opened  on  the  first  Monday  in  December  fol- 
lowing. Dr.  Alexander  Campbell,  of  Adams  county,  who 
had  been  Speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives  for  two 
or  three  sessions  previous,  was  re-elected  to  that  post.  As 
Dr.  Tiffin's  seat  in  the  United  States  senate  was  yet  va- 
cant, the  two  houses  of  the  Legislature,  soon  after  the 


WESTERN    MKTHODI8M.  273 

session  commenced,  met  in  joint  session,  in  the  hall  of 
the  house  of  representatives,  to  elect  a  successor.  Chilli- 
cothe  was  yet  the  seat  of  government,  and  the  old  stone 
court-house  the  capitol,  in  which  the  sessions  were  held. 
The  building  was  very  illy  adapted  for  the  purpose.  The 
house  occupied  the  court-room  on  the  ground  floor,  a  very 
uncomfortable,  badly-lighted,  and  roughly-finished  room, 
with  a  large  fireplace  at  each  end,  and  a  wide,  open  stair- 
way out  of  one  corner,  leading  up  to  the  second  floor. 
All  the  wood  which  could  be  piled  on  the  fires  failed  to 
heat  the  large  room  in  winter.  The  senate  occupied  the 
grand-jury  room  on  the  second  floor.  This  was  a  low 
room,  with  a  platform  for  the  Speaker's  seat  at  one  side, 
and  long,  roughly-made  tables  on  the  floor,  with  plain, 
Windsor  chairs  ranged  behind  them  for  the  reverend 
senators. 

"The  two  houses,  as  above  stated,  met  in  joint  session. 
The  senate,  headed  by  their  Speaker,  Thomas  Kirker, 
Esq.,  and  their  Secretary,  llev.  Thomas  Scott,  descended 
the  wide  stairway  before  mentioned,  and,  on  entering  the 
'  bar,'  were  received  by  the  members  of  the  house,  stand- 
ing, and  conducted  to  seats,  the  Speaker  taking  his  scat 
at  the  right  of  the  Speaker  of  the  house.  When  all 
were  seated  and  in  readiness,  the  Speaker  of  the  senate 
arose  and  said  :  '  Gentlemen  of  the  senate,  you  will 
please  prepare  your  ballots  for  senator  in  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  resig- 
nation of  Edward  Tiffin.'  The  Speaker  of  the  house 
then  called  upon  the  l  gentlemen  of  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives'  to  prepare  their  ballots  for  the  same  purpose. 
A  teller  from  each  house,  named  by  their  respective 
Speakers,  collected  the  ballots  in  hats,  and  read  them  at 
the  Clerk's  table;  each  of  the  Clerks  took  down  the  votes 
given,  and  handed  the  result  to  their  Speakers,  by  which 
it  was  shown  that  Doctor  Alexander  Campbell,  Speaker 


274:  SKETCHES   OF 

of  the  house,  was  duly  elected.  This  was,  in  due  form, 
announced  by  Mr.  Speaker  Kirker  to  the  'gentlemen  of 
the  senate/  and  was  followed  by  the  Speaker  of  the 
house,  who,  under  evident  embarrassment,  but  which  he 
succeeded  very  well  in  overcoming,  announced  in  the 
same  form :  ( Gentlemen  of  the  house  of  representatives, 
it  appears  that  Alexander  (Campbell,  of  Adams  county, 
has  been  duly  elected  senator  in  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States,  to  fill  the  vacancy  created  by  the  resigna- 
tion of  Edward  Tiffin/  On  the  retirement  of  the  senate 
to  their  chamber,  Dr.  Campbell  arose,  and,  after  a  few 
very  touching  farewell  remarks,  handed  to  the  Clerk,  Mr. 
Thomas  S.  Hinde,  a  written  resignation  of  the  Speaker- 
ship  of  the  house,  and  retired  from  the  chair.  The 
Clerk  immediately  arose,  and  read  the  resignation  to  the 
house,  and,  on  motion,  the  house  proceeded  at  once  to 
elect  a  Speaker  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Dr.  Tiffin  was  put  in 
nomination,  and,  I  think,  unanimously  chosen  Speaker; 
and,  on  taking  the  chair,  presented  his  thanks  to  the 
house  in  a  neat  little  speech. 

"  I  was  present  during  the  whole  of  the  proceedings 
which  I  have  here  given  in  detail,  and  record  them  now 
to  show  the  reader  of  the  present  day  how  such  things 
were  done  in  that  early  period  of  our  state's  history,  while 
yet  in  its  primitive  simplicity  and  purity.  Let  the  reader 
contrast  these  simple,  honest,  and  dignified  proceedings 
with  the  disgraceful  legislative  caucusing,  party  drilling, 
corrupting  influences,  and  bacchanalian  orgies  of  some 
modern  'progressive'  legislatures  we  wot  of.  We  are 
strongly  inclined  to  indulge  in  some  further  reflections 
here ;  but,  lest  it  might  give  offense,  we  refrain. 

"Doctor  Tiffin  was  returned  to  the  house  of  represent- 
atives the  following  year  also — 1810 — and  again  chosen 
Speaker  by  that  body.  The  seat  of  government  having 
been,  in  the  mean  time,  by  order  of  the  previous  session, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  275 

removed  to  Zanesville,  the  Legislature  met  and  held  its 
session  in  that  town.  For  this  removal  of  the  seat  of 
government,  the  town  of  Zanesville  was  indebted  to  the 
efforts  and  influence  of  its  member,  George  Jackson.  It 
remained  there,  however,  but  two  or  three  years,  and  was 
removed  back  to  Chillicothe,  and  soon  afterward  to  Colum- 
bus, the  permanent  seat.  Dr.  Tiffin's  intimate  knowledge 
of  the  duties  of  the  chair,  and  his  habitual  promptness 
and  business  tact,  admirably  fitted  him  to  preside  over  a 
deliberative  assembly;  and  as  presiding  officer  he  was 
deservedly  popular,  and  gave  great  satisfaction. 

"  The  Doctor's  income  from  the  rent  of  his  house  in 
town,  and  the  products  of  his  mill  and  farm  in  the  coun- 
try, being  inadequate  to  the  support  of  his  family,  he 
removed  into  town  again,  in  the  autumn  of  1810,  and 
resumed  his  practice  as  a  physician,  to  which  he  devoted 
his  whole  attention ;  and  his  well-known  skill  and  popu- 
larity in  his  profession  brought  him  at  once  into  an 
extensive  and  lucrative  practice.  In  surgical  operations 
he  was  equally  successful.  Some  instances  of  important 
cases  might  be  mentioned ;  but  we  will  name  but  one  or 
two.  On  one  occasion,  when  visiting  the  sick,  some  fif- 
teen or  twenty  miles  from  Chillicothe,  on  Deer  creek,  he 
was  sent  for  to  see  a  man  who  had  cut  his  foot  very  badly 
with  a  scythe,  when  mowing.  The  Doctor  found  the 
patient's  foot  in  a  high  state  of  inflammation,  with  mor- 
tification commenced  and  rapidly  advancing,  requiring 
immediate  amputation.  To  have  delayed  till  he  could 
get  his  surgical  instruments  would  have  been  fatal  to  the 
patient,  as  the  weather  was  extremely  sultry.  In  place 
of  a  tourniquet  he  used  a  silk  handkerchief,  which  he 
drew  tightly  around  the  leg.  Then  using  his  penknife 
for  a  scalpel,  and  a  common  handsaw  for  sawing  off  the 
bones,  he  soon  had  the  diseased  part  of  the  limb  severed, 
the  wound  dressed,  and  thereby  saved  the  man's  life.  At 


276  SKETCHES    OF 

another  time  he  was  sent  for  to  visit  a  woman,  a  few 
miles  east  of  Chillicothe,  who  had  an  inflammatory  dis- 
ease in  one  of  her  breasts.  Mortification  having  set  in, 
the  Doctor  found  it  necessary,  to  save  the  woman's  life, 
to  amputate  the  entire  breast.  This  critical  operation  he 
performed  successfully,  and  the  patient's  life  was  saved. 
"An  act  of  Congress  creating  the  General  Land-Office 
was  passed,  April  25,  1812.  This  act  provided  for  the 
appointment,  by  the  President  and  senate,  of  a  'Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land-Office/  with  a  salary  of 
three  thousand  dollars,  under  whose  direction  and  man- 
agement the  business  of  the  office  was  to  be  conducted. 
In  selecting  a  suitable  man  to  take  charge  of  this  import- 
ant office,  President  Madison,  wholly  unexpected  and 
unsolicited  by  either  Dr.  Tiffin  or  any  of  his  friends,  con- 
ferred it  upon  him  His  nomination,  when  sent  into  the 
senate,  gave  great  satisfaction  to  that  body,  and  elicited 
an  expression  of  warm  approval  from  several  members. 
The  nomination  was  immediately  taken  up  and  xinani- 
rnously  confirmed.  The  first  intimation  which  the  Doctor 
had  of  his  appointment,  was  the  receipt,  by  the  next 
mail,  of  his  commission,  with  a  friendly  private  letter 
from  President  Madison,  and  complimentary  letters  from 
Mr.  Worthington,  then  in  the  senate,  and  several  other 
members.  The  gratifying  manner  in  which  the  office 
was  conferred  determined  the  Doctor  at  once  to  accept 
it.  A  few  days  thereafter,  leaving  his  family  in  Chilli- 
cothe,  he  mounted  his  horse — the  only  practicable  modo 
of  traveling  at  that  time — and,  accompanied  by  the  Kev. 
Joseph  S.  Collins,*  of  Chillicothe,  whom  he  took  along 
as  a  clerk  in  the  office,  he  set  out  for  Washington,  which 


*The  father  of  the  Rev.  John  A.  Collins,  of  the  Baltimore  con- 
ference. He  still  survives,  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-five 
years,  and  resides  in  Georgetown .  District,  of  Columbia. 


WE8TEEN    METHODISM.  277 

he  reached  in  about  two  weeks  of  diligent  and  weary 
travel.  Here  he  immediately  set  about  organizing  the 
General  Land-Office,  and  putting  it  in  train  for  business. 
This  was  a  laborious  work,  as  the  books,  documents, 
papers,  maps,  etc.,  had  to  be  gathered  out  of  the  several 
departments  and  bureaus  of  state,  treasury,  and  war,  and 
appropriately  arranged  for  business  in  the  new  office. 
The  Surveyor-General  of  the  public  lands,  and  the  Reg- 
isters and  Receivers  of  the  numerous  land-offices  in  the 
west,  were  placed  under  the  direction  and  control  of  the 
new  Commissioner;  and  these  were  to  be  put  in  commu- 
nication with  him,  and  receive  his  instructions  for  their 
government  in  performing  their  duties. 

"  Early  in  the  following  autumn  the  Doctor  returned 
to  Chillicothe,  for  the  purpose  of  settling  up  his  affairs, 
and  to  remove  his  family  to  Washington  City,  which  he 
did.  He  took  a  beautiful  mansion  on  the  summit  of 
Meridian  Hill — as  it  is  called,  I  believe — on  the  north- 
west extremity  of  Washington,  to  which  were  attached 
several  acres  of  ground,  including  garden  and  an  orchard 
of  choice  fruit  of  various  kinds.  The  Doctor  devoted 
unremitted  attention  to  the  duties  of  his  office,  where  he 
was  always  to  be  found  during  the  hours  of  business. 

"When  the  British  army,  in  August,  1814,  was  on 
the  march  upon  Washington  City,  and  the  order  was 
given  to  remove  the  books,  documents,  and  every  thing 
pertaining  to  the  public  offices,  to  places  of  safety,  in 
the  country,  he  was  the  first  officer  to  commence  the 
work.  By  his  prompt  and  efficient  measures  for  the 
safety  of  his  office,  he  succeeded  in  removing  its  entire 
contents  to  a  safe  place  in  London  county,  Virginia, 
about  ten  miles  from  Washington ;  while  several  of  the 
other  offices  in  the  departments  lost  much  of  their  valu- 
able documents,  all  the  public  buildings,  with  their  con- 
tents, having  been  burned  by  the  enemy. 
24 


278  SKETCHES    OF 

The  Doctor,  who  never  relished  much  a  residence  in 
Washington  City,  where  the  technical  formalities  and 
customs  in  fashionable  life  were  unsuited  to  his  taste, 
had  now  a  strong  desire  to  return  to  the  west.  The 
office  of  Surveyor-General  of  public  lands  north-west  of 
the  Ohio  river,  was  then  held  by  Josiah  Meigs,  Esq., 
who  kept  the  office  at  Cincinnati,  and  was  paid  a  salary 
by  Government  of  two  thousand  dollars  per  year.  The 
Doctor  conceived  the  project  of  effecting  an  exchange  of 
offices  with  Mr.  Meigs,  provided  the  consent  of  the  Pres- 
ident and  senate  could  be  obtained.  Early  in  the  autumn 
of  1814  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Meigs,  confidentially,  making 
the  proposition  here  named  to  him,  who  willingly  con- 
sented thereto.  The  Doctor  next  brought  the  subject 
before  the  President  privately,  and  satisfied  him  that  the 
proposed  exchange  was  mutually  desired  by  himself  and 
Mr.  Meigs,  and  that  the  public  interest  would  in  no  way 
suffer  thereby.  Mr.  Madison  obligingly  assented  to 
their  wishes,  and  sent  to  the  senate  their  nominations 
for  that  purpose,  which  were  confirmed  by  that  body. 

The  way  being  now  open  for  the  Doctor's  return  to  his 
favored  west,  he  lost  no  time  in  making  his  preparations 
for  that  purpose.  Sending  on  his  household  goods  in 
advance,  he,  with  Mrs.  Tiffin  and  their  children  and 
nurse,  performed  the  tedious  journey  in  the  family  car- 
riage. He  immediately  removed  the  Surveyor-General's 
office  from  Cincinnati  to  Chillicothe,  its  location  not  being 
fixed  by  law  at  any  one  place.  Here  he  fitted  up  the 
office  in  an  old,  one-story  log  building,  which  had  been 
erected  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  town,  and  stood  on 
Water-street,  in  front  of  his  dwelling-house,  and,  I  be- 
lieve, remains  there  yet,  a  relic  of  the  olden  time.  The 
Doctor  now  went  to  work,  with  his  characteristic  ardor 
and  assiduity,  to  acquaint  himself  minutely  with  the 
routine  of  the  duties  devolving  upon  him,  and  to  ge« 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  279 

'the  run' — the  history  and  present  state  of  its  business. 
This  was  a  laborious  task,  one  in  which  he  derived  little 
or  no  assistance  from  the  only  clerk  whom  he  found  in 
the  office,  who  had  been  himself  but  a  short  time  in  it; 
Sir.  Meigs  having  set  out  for  Washington  City  about  the 
time  that  the  Doctor  left  it  for  Ohio.  At  that  time  no 
public  surveys  were  being  made,  having  been  suspended  by 
the  presence  of  hostile  Indians  on  the  territory  to  be  sur- 
veyed, and  but  little  current  business  demanded  attention. 

"In  the  spring  of  1814,  before  he  had  any  thought  of 
returning  to  Ohio,  Dr.  Tiffin,  without  any  solicitation 
from  me  or  my  friends,  had  appointed  me  to  a  clerkship 
in  the  General  Land-Office.  Wishing  to  have  me  in  his 
office  at  Chillicothe,  the  Doctor,  in  January  following, 
made  the  proposition  to  me,  and  offered  me  the  post  of 
chief  clerk  therein.  This  offer  I  very  willingly  accepted, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1815  moved  back  to  Chillicothe,  and 
immediately  entered  upon  the  duties  of  my  new  employ- 
ment. The  business  of  this  office  being  exactly  suited 
to  my  taste  and  inclinations,  it  will  not,  I  hope,  be  con- 
sidered out  of  place  for  me  to  say  that  I  devoted,  unre- 
mittingly, what  little  energy  and  ardor  I  possessed  to 
make  myself  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  whole  rou- 
tine of  duties  devolving  upon  me,  as  well  as  those  per- 
taining to  the  head  of  the  office;  for  these,  likewise,  as 
the  Doctor's  health  declined,  he  committed  almost  entirely 
to  my  management.  It  was,  I  will  add,  gratifying  to  me 
to  know  that  the  onerous  duties,  thus  devolved  by  him 
upon  his  chief  clerk,  were  performed  to  the  Doctor's 
entire  satisfaction,  as  well  as  that  of  the  department  at 
Washington,  the  head  of  which,  in  after  years,  spoke  of 
the  manner  in  which  the  business  of  the  office  had  been 
conducted  in  very  flattering  terms. 

"  During  the  first  three  or  four  years  after  the  Doctor's 
return  from  Washington,  he  occasionally  preached  in 


SKETCHES  OF 

town;  and,  at  one  time,  for  several  months,  conducted 
the  religious  services  of  the  little  society  of  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  Church  in  Chillicothe,  who  had,  as  yet, 
no  pastor.  Besides  the  morning  service  of  that  Church, 
he  usually  read  a  sermon  from  some  book,  using  for  this 
purpose,  mostly,  'Burder's  Village  Sermons.'  He  was  a 
fine  reader,  and  read  from  the  pages  of  the  book,  which 
lay  on  the  desk  before  him,  with  all  the  appropriate  em- 
phasis, cadence,  intonation,  and  pathos  of  an  extempora- 
neous discourse.  On  one  Sunday  he  did  venture  to 
deliver  one  of  his  own  extemporaneous  sermons,  and 
with  such  warmth  and  power  that  his  congregation  was 
thrown  into  great  amazement.  A  committee  appointed 
by  them  waited  upon  the  Doctor  the  next  day,  and  ex- 
pressed their  disapprobation  of  extempore  sermons,  desir- 
ing him,  in  future,  to  read  only.  Whether  he  ever 
officiated  for  them  afterward  I  do  not  now  recollect,  but 
think  he  did  not. 

"The  Doctor  had  long  been  subject  to  occasional  par- 
oxysms of  severe  nervous  headache,  which  did  not  usually 
continue  beyond  a  few  hours.  As  he  advanced  in  years 
these  paroxysms  became  more  frequent  and  severe,  with 
painful  disturbance  of  the  whole  nervous  system,  and 
great  suffering.  These  afflictions  gradually  advanced 
upon  him  to  the  end  of  his  life;  and  during  the  last  four 
or  five  years  of  it  most  of  his  time  was  spent  in  his  bed.  I 
usually  went  to  his  room  every  morning,  to  see  him  be- 
fore opening  the  office;  and  often  has  he  said  to  me,  'I 
had  a  very  bad  night  of  it,  and  was  in  hopes  that  I  would 
have  died  before  morning!'  And  on  more  than  one 
occasion  he  has  added,  '  0,  how  glad  I  would  be  if  the 
Lord  would  only  send  the  messenger,  and  release  me 
from  my  sufferings !  I  fancy  that  when  my  exulting 
spirit  would  reach  the  ceiling  it  would  turn  a  moment 
and  gaze  upon  the  lifeless  body,  and  triumphantly 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 

exclaim,  "Ha,  you  old  diseased  carcass,  I  am  liberated 
from  your  loathsome  prison  at  last!  Farewell,  till  we 
meet  again,  when  the  trumpet  shall  awaken  you  from 
the  tomb,  and  your  mortal  shall  put  on  immortality !" ' 
When  well  enough  to  leave  his  room,  he  would  attend  to 
some  business  in  the  office,  or  overlook  the  work  in  his 
garden,  or  other  matters  about  the  house ;  and.  as  often  as 
practicable,  he  attended  public  worship  and  his  class  meet- 
ings. He  read  much  even  when  unable  to  sit  up.  Hun- 
dreds of  times  have  I  found  him  on  his  bed  with  a  book 
in  his  hand,  the  pages  of  which  he  was  poring  over  with 
earnestness,  although  suffering  much  at  the  time.  His 
reading  was  generally  confined  to  religious  works. 

"  The  last  few  years  of  his  life  were  but  little  diver- 
sified with  incident.  Disease  and  suffering  were  gradu- 
ally wearing  him  down  to  the  grave.  He  was  mostly 
confined  to  his  room  and  to  his  bed.  And  when  his 
health  permitted  him  to  be  out,  he  was  soon  obliged  to 
return  again  to  his  room. 

"  Doctor  Tiffin  held  the  office  of  Surveyor-General  for 
nearly  fifteen  years,  enjoying  the  entire  confidence  of 
Presidents  Madison,  Monroe,  and  John  Quincy  Adams, 
and  the  departments  at  Washington,  in  his  capacity, 
integrity,  and  faithfulness  in  office.  On  the  accession 
of  General  Jackson  to  the  Presidency,  the  new  doctrine 
that  'to  the  victors  belonged  the  spoils'  was  adopted, 
and  carried  out,  through  all  the  numerous  offices  of  the 
Government,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  where  the 
incumbents  were  not  known  to  be  political  adherents 
and  active  partisans  of  the  General  and  his  administra- 
tion. The  Doctor  had,  for  twenty  years  or  more  previous 
to  this  time,  laid  politics  aside.  He  concerned  not  him- 
self with,  nor  took  any  part  whatever  in,  the  political 
party  movements  of  the  day.  He  contented  himself, 
when  able  to  attend,  by  going  to  the  polls  and  depositing 

24* 


282  SKETCHES    OF 

his  ballot.  His  name,  of  course,  was  enrolled  high  up  on 
the  list  of  the  proscribed,  and  he  was  early  removed 
from  office  by  the  new  President.  His  successor  was 
General  William  Lytle,  of  Cincinnati,  a  gentleman  every 
way  worthy  of  the  appointment.  On  the  1st  of  July, 
1829,  General  Lytle  appeared,  and  laid  before  Dr.  Tiffin, 
then  on  his  death-bed,  his  commission,  and  an  order  from 
the  department  at  Washington  for  the  delivery  of  the 
office  to  him,  as  his  successor.  This  was  done  very  po- 
litely and  promptly,  and  the  office  was  at  once  removed 
by  General  Lytle  to  Cincinnati. 

"The  Doctor's  health  continued  to  decline,  and  he  grad- 
ually sunk  till  Sunday  evening,  the  9th  of  August,  1829, 
a  little  over  six  weeks  after  his  removal  from  office.  He 
had  been  long  sensible  of  his  approaching  end,  and  con- 
templated the  solemn  event  not  only  with  calm  compla- 
cency, but  with  joyful  anticipations  of  a  triumphant 
admission  into  his  heavenly  Father's  kingdom  and  to  the 
society  of  'just  men  made  perfect/  This  joyful  confi- 
dence he  gave  frequent  expression  to  when  visited  by  his 
friends  and  brethren.  He  retained  the  full  exercise  of 
his  reason  to  the  last,  and  gently  and  calmly  sunk  into 
the  embraces  of  death  about  sundown  of  the  day  above 
mentioned,  aged  sixty-three  years  and  two  months.  I 
close  this  brief  account  of  his  death  with  the  following 
appropriate  obituary  notice,  which  I  clip  from  the  Chil- 
licothe  <  Scioto  Gazette,'  of  August  12,  1829 : 

" l  Died,  at  his  residence  in  this  place,  on  Sunday 
evening  last,  the  9th  inst.,  Dr.  EDWARD  TIFFIN,  in  the 
sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age. 

"  '  The  deceased  was  a  native  of  England,  but  immi- 
grated to  America  at  an  early  period  in  life,  and  settled 
in  Berkly  county,  in  the  state  of  Virginia,  as  a  prac- 
ticing physician.  Shortly  after  this  state — then  a  part 
of  the  North- West  territory,  so  called — was.  opened  for 


WESTEBN    METHODISM.  283 

settlement,  he  removed  to  this  town,  then  in  its  infancy, 
and  erected  the  first  house  that  was  covered  with  a  shin- 
gle roof.  In  1799  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  terri- 
torial Legislature,  in  which  capacity  he  continued  to 
serve  till  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  convention 
that  formed  the  Constitution  of  Ohio,  of  which  body  he 
was  President.  When,  in  1803,  the  Constitution  of  the 
state  went  into  operation,  he  was  called  to  the  first  execu- 
tive office  under  it,  by  a  very  flattering  vote  of  the 
people.  This  mark  of  the  public  confidence  was  again 
extended  to  him  at  the  succeeding  election  of  Governor. 
But  before  he  had  completed  his  second  gubernatorial 
term,  he  was  elected  a  senator  in  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States.  In  this  distinguished  station,  he  served 
the  state  till  a  heavy  domestic  misfortune  compelled 
him,  temporarily,  to  retire  from  public  life.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  administration  of  President  Madison, 
the  General  Land-Office  was  formed  into  a  distinct 
bureau  of  the  Treasury  Department.  In  looking  to  the 
west  for  a  suitable  person  to  be  placed  at  its  head,  the 
penetrating  judgment  of  that  great  man  selected  the 
subject  of  this  notice  as  its  first  Commissioner.  He 
promptly  repaired  to  the  post,  and  faithfully  devoted 
himself  to  the  organization  and  discharge  of  the  various, 
complicated,  and  arduous  duties  of  the  office,  till  he  was 
appointed  Surveyor-General  of  the  United  States,  in 
which  capacity  he  continued  to  act  till  the  first  of  July 
last,  when  he  wag  removed  by  President  Jackson  for  his 
unbending  honesty  and  independence  as  a  politician; 
thus  filling  a  life  of  almost  continued  public  usefulness 
for  upward  of  thirty  years. 

"'In  the  various  relations  of  a  parent,  husband, 
Christian,  neighbor,  and  private  citizen,  the  deceased 
has  been  but  rarely  equaled,  and  perhaps  never  excelled. 

"'As  a  public  man,  he  was  inflexibly  just,  upright, 


284  SKETCHES    OF 

independent,  and  firm.  As  a  private  citizen,  he  was  em- 
phatically an  honest  and  conscientious  man;  and  as  a 
Christian,  he  was  catholic  in  his  religious  opinions,  and 
exemplary  and  practically  pious. 

"  '  He  has  left,  to  deplore  his  loss,  a  widow,  five  chil- 
dren, a  number  of  other  near  relations,  and  an  extensive 
circle  of  public  and  private  acquaintances.  On  the  suc- 
ceeding afternoon  his  mortal  remains  were  committed  to 
the  tomb,  attended  by  a  large  concourse  of  the  citizens 
of  the  town  and  of  the  adjoining  neighborhood.' 

"In  stature  Dr.  Tiffin  was  about  five  feet  six  inches, 
with  pretty  full  and  heavy  body,  and  light  limbs.  His 
head  was  large,  and  his  face  full  and  round,  with  florid 
complexion.  Baldness  had  taken  place  long  before  he 
had  reached  the  meridian  of  life ;  and,  for  the  last  fifteen 
or  twenty  years  of  it,  he  was  obliged  to  wear  a  wig.  His 
countenance  was  one  of  the  most  expressive  I  have  ever 
seen,  especially  when  lighted  up  with  animation.  He 
was  remarkable  for  the  activity  and  quickness  of  his 
movements,  and  whatsoever  he  did,  he  did  with  prompt- 
ness and  with  his  might.  Dr.  Monett — a  physician  of 
Chillicothe — used  to  say  of  him,  that  '  what  he  could 
not  do  quickly,  he  could  not  do  at  all.'  It  was  his  rule 
of  action,  '  never  to  put  off  till  to-morrow  that  which 
could  be  done  to-day.'  In  company,  his  conversation 
was  generally  animated,  always  engaging,  and  his  manner 
full  of  life  and  vivacity,  which  often  made  him,  on  such 
occasions,  the  '  observed  of  all  observers.' 

"  In  his  financial  affairs — especially  those  in  relation  to 
the  office,  where  large  expenditures  were  annually  made 
on  account  of  the  public  surveys — he  was  particularly 
exact,  making  it  a  point  to  keep  his  accounts  posted  up 
every  day,  ready  for  settlement  in  case  of  his  death. 
And  when  removed  from  office,  having  no  instructions 
about  paying  over  the  balance  of  public  money  in  his 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  285 

hands — some  four  or  five  thousand  dollars — he  gave  the 
department  at  Washington  no  rest  till  he  obtained  an 
order  to  pay  it  over  to  his  successor,  which  he  instantly 
did. 

"  His  benevolence  to  the  poor  and  needy  was  bounded 
only  by  his  inability  farther  to  relieve  them.  I  have 
known  him  to  feel  intensely  whon  he  had  not  the  means 
at  hand,  or  to  spare,  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  needy 
and  destitute  ;  and  his  known  charity  to  the  poor  brought 
numerous  calls  from  them  for  relief.  In  several  in- 
stances, where  he  did  not  wish  the  recipients  to  know 
from  whom  the  relief  came,  he  has  made  me  tho  almoner 
of  his  charity,  and  very  probably  often  availed  himself 
of  similar  services  from  others.  The  sufferings  of  the 
sick  and  poor  always  awakened  his  sympathies,  and 
"  *HU  pity  gave  ere  charity  began.' 

"After  his  appointment  as  Surveyor-General,  being  no 
longer  engaged  in  the  practice  of  physic,  he  kept  always 
on  hand  a  supply  of  medicines  in  common  use  for  the 
nse  of  the  poor  and  those  not  well  able  to  pay,  and  to 
all  such  who  called  on  him,  he  distributed  suitable 
medicines,  with  professional  advice  and  instructions,  free 
of  charge.  Calls  of  this  description  were  numerous, 
chiefly  from  the  country;  and  I  have  known  him  to  be 
employed  for  hours  together  in  attending  to  the  cases 
of  the  sick,  in  inquiring  into  the  symptoms,  in  giving 
advice,  writing  prescriptions  and  making  up  packages  of 
medicines,  even  when  he  was  scarcely  able  to  be  out  of 
his  bed,  or  actually  confined  to  it. 

"It  should  have  been  mentioned  in  its  proper  place, 
in  the  early  portion  of  the  Doctor's  life,  his  filial  care 
of  his  aged  parents,  for  whom  he  provided  a  home  in  his 
own  house,  after  their  children  were  all  settled  in  the 
world.  He  contributed  in  every  way  to  their  comfort 
and  happiness,  nursed  them  himself,  with  all  tenderness 


286  SKETCHES    OF 

and  affection,  when  they  were  sick,  and,  to  the  extent 
of  his  power,  smoothed  their  passage  to  the  tomb.  They 
both  died,  I  think,  about  the  year  1807. 

"  As  a  preacher,  the  Doctor's  talents  were  much  above 
mediocrity.  He  was  methodical  in  the  arrangement  of 
his  discourses,  and  always  '  stuck  to  his  text/  and  pre- 
sented his  subject  with  clearness  and  force.  His  lan- 
guage was  somewhat  florid,  but  yet  plain,  and  adapted  to 
the  easy  comprehension  of  all.  His  action  in  the  pulpit 
was  highly  impulsive,  yet  natural  and  graceful,  and  his 
countenance  lighted  up  with  expression.  His  discourses 
were  delivered  with  great  animation  and  with  eloquence 
and  power,  and  his  appeals  to  the  hearts  and  consciences 
of  his  hearers  were  pointed,  forcible,  and  effective.  In 
the  country  around  Chillicothe,  where  the  Doctor  had  so 
often  preached,  he  was  deservedly  very  popular,  and  his 
labors  in  the  pulpit  much  sought  after,  and  at  quarterly 
and  camp  meetings  he  was  always  assigned  one,  at  least, 
of  the  chief  appointments  on  the  Sabbath.  Three  of 
Dr.  Tiffin's  sermons,  preached  in  1817,  have  been  given 
in  the  'Ohio  Conference  Offering/  a  collection  of  ser- 
mons published  in  1851,  by  Rev.  M.  P.  Gaddis.  (See  pp. 
340-360.) 

"To  the  active  labors  and  influence  of  Dr.  Tiffin,  the 
Church  is  more  indebted  than  to  any  other  man  for  the 
introduction  and  establishment  of  Methodism  in  Chilli- 
cothe and  the  surrounding  country. 

"  We  may  add,  in  conclusion,  that  the  Doctor's  excel- 
lent lady,  whom  he  left  a  widow,  survived  him  but  a  few 
years.  His  four  daughters  are  still  living.  The  eldest 
is  married  to  Mr.  Joseph  A.  Reynolds,  and  resides  near 
TJrbana;  another  married  M.  Scott  Cook,  Esq.,  of  Chil- 
licothe; and  the  youngest  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  C.  Gr.  Come- 
gys,  a  talented  and  skillful  physician  of  Cincinnati.  The 
remaining  daughter  is  unmarried.  His  only  son,  Edward 


WESTERN     METHODISM.  287 

Parker  Tiffin,  chose  the  profession  of  medicine,  and, 
after  completing  his  studies  and  graduating,  he  spent 
two  years  in  Paris,  France,  to  perfect  his  knowledge  of 
the  healing  art,  and  returned  to  the  United  States  last 
autumn,  and  took  the  cars  at  New  York  on  his  route 
home.  At  one  of  the  stopping-places  on  the  way,  where 
the  passengers  breakfasted,  the  train  started  before  he 
had  got  on  again,  and  in  attempting  to  get  on  one  of  the 
cars  when  in  motion,  his  foot  slipped  off  the  step,  and  he 
fell  on  the  track,  and  was  instantly  run  over  by  the 
wheels,  nearly  cutting  off  one  leg  and  one  arm,  both 
near  the  body.  He  was  taken  back  to  New  York,  but 
survived  only  a  few  hours. 

"Dr.  Tiffin,  it  is  to  be  regretted,  left  no  papers  nor  any 
written  memorial  of  his  life.  Most  of  the  foregoing 
memoir  is  drawn  from  memory,  and  relates  to  matters 
occurring  from  twenty-five  to  almost  fifty  years  ago.  It 
is  also  to  be  regretted  that  the  only  likeness  left  of  the 
Doctor  is  a  small  miniature,  which  bears  but  little  resem- 
blance to  the  original,  and  altogether  fails  to  give  the 
striking  features  and  fine  expression  of  countenance  of 
the  Doctor.  I  have  been  shown  a  portrait  on  some  bank 
notes,  which  is  said  to  be  copied  from  the  miniature 
above  mentioned;  but  it  fails  to  convey  even  what  little 
trace  of  likeness  is  found  in  the  miniature." 


288  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XX. 

JOHN  A.  GRENADE. 

A  SHORT  sketch  of  this  wonderful  man,  written  by  our 
friend  and  brother,  Dr.  Baker,  of  the  Cincinnati  confer- 
ence, containing  some  deeply-thrilling  and  interesting 
incidents,  will  be  found  below.  The  Doctor's  sketch  is 
prefaced  by  the  following: 

"DEAR  BROTHER, — I  am  much  gratified  to  learn  that 
you  are  engaged  in  rescuing  from  the  shades  of  forget- 
fulness  the  names,  the  labors,  and  privations  of  those 
pious  dead,  who,  in  the  early  stages  of  the  settlement 
of  the  vast  region  of  this  now  cultivated  and  truly  'great 
west,'  went  forth,  bearing  the  precious  seed  of  Gospel 
truth,  and  scattering  it  broadcast  over  the  extensive 
field.  They  had,  morally  speaking,  to  fell  the  forest,  to 
clear,  break  up,  and  reclaim  a  soil,  wild  and  luxuriant,  of 
a  vitiated  growth,  and  transform  it  into  a  fruitful  field. 
How  did  those  men  toil  and  suffer  privation  !  Surely 
their  names,  their  labors,  their  sufferings,  and  their  suc- 
cess should  be  stereotyped  in  the  records  of  Methodism, 
and  of  the  nation,  in  all  coming  generations.  But,  alas ! 
even  the  names  of  some  of  them  are  almost  forgotten. 
We  hope  you  will  gather  up  many  of  the  fragments  that 
yet  remain.  It  is  a  work  worthy  of  your  pen ;  and  the 
book  will  be  hailed  with  joy  by  hundreds  of  the  pioneers 
of  Methodism  who  yet  linger  on  earth,  both  in  the  north 
and  in  the  south,  and  by  thousands  of  their  descendants. 

"I  send  you  herewith  a  few  reminiscences  of  Rev. 
John  A.  Grenade,  known,  in  the  days  of  his  itinerancy, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  289 

as  the  'wild  man.'  Some  points  in  his  character  and 
history  I  have  learned  from  others,  but  the  pastoral  visit 
I  give  from  memory. 

"God,  in  his  wisdom,  for  the  accomplishment  of  his 
purposes,  has,  in  every  age  of  the  world,  chosen  such 
instrumentalities  as  were  adapted  to  the  times,  circum- 
stances, and  state  of  society.  This  is  illustrated  and 
confirmed,  as  in  numerous  other  instances,  in  the  char- 
acter of  the  early  Methodist  preachers  of  this  country. 
Moreover,  times  and  circumstances  tend  to  develop  the 
character,  mold  the  habits,  and  shape  the  courses  of 
men.  Hence,  'men  for  the  times'  are  the  instruments 
God  has  provided  to  meet  emergencies;  and  where  they 
are  obedient  to  their  call,  and  with  fidelity  attend  to  the 
work  to  which  they  were  destined,  success  ever  has,  and 
ever  will  honor  and  crown  their  efforts;  and  if  some  dis- 
obey, others  will  be  called.  Thus  are  the  designs  of  God 
accomplished.  Such  men  always  leave  their  impress 
upon  their  age. 

"  Of  several  of  the  Methodist  preachers  who  labored 
in  the  south-west  in  the  days  of  my  childhood,  I  have 
recollections  more  or  less  distinct.  Samuel  Douthet  was 
hortatory  and  pathetic;  Ralph  Lotspeich,  a  weeping 
prophet ;  Thomas  Wilkerson,  a  son  of  consolation,  whose 
speech  dropped  like  the  gentle  dew;  John  Crane,  a 
warm,  earnest,  eloquent  man.  He,  too,  often  wept  in 
preaching.  Crane  was  a  slender  man,  apparently  feeble, 
very  zealous,  and  abundant  in  labors.  He  fell  a  martyr 
to  his  work  in  1812,  on  Duck  river,  Tennessee,  where  he 
labored  night  and  day,  while  God  himself  was  warning 
the  terrified  inhabitants  by  '  terribly  shaking  the  earth.' 
James  Axley,  droll,  witty,  argumentative,  and  often  pow- 
erful. I  heard  him  last  at  a  camp  meeting  in  Tennessee, 
in  1819.  There  are  others  of  whom  I  could  speak. 
Among  them  all,  however,  Grenade  was  the  'Son  of  Thun- 


290  SKETCHES    OF 

der.'  The  visit  to  my  father's  family,  when  he  traveled 
the  Holston  circuit,  impressed  him  upon  my  memory  so 
as  never  to  be  forgotten. 

"Of  the  parentage,  nativity,  or  early  life  of  Mr.  Gren- 
ade I  know  nothing.  When  I  saw  him  at  my  father's, 
in  1803,  he  was,  as  I  suppose,  near  thirty  years  of  age. 
He  was  about  medium  hight,  but  slender;  of  a  quick  and 
elastic  step ;  formed  for  action.  His  voice  was  full  and 
musical;  his  eye  keen, piercing;  and,  when  speaking,  his 
jesticulations  were  violent.  He  was  a  man  of  respecta- 
ble education,  a  physician,  and  a  poet.  His  temperament 
was  ardent,  or,  as  Martin  Luther  said  of  himself,  he  was 
* choleric  by  nature.' 

"  After  his  conversion,  if  my  impressions  are  correct, 
he  lost  his  evidence  of  justification  and  all  his  religious 
enjoyment,  in  consequence  of  refusing  to  preach.  But 
the  Spirit  of  God  pursued  him,  and,  though  he  tried  to 
shake  off  his  convictions  of  duty,  he  was  brought  to  see 
and  feel  his  perilous  condition  so  sensibly  as  to  excite  the 
most  fearful  apprehensions  and  alarm.  The  enemy,  tak- 
ing advantage  of  his  condition,  suggested  that  his  des- 
tiny was  now  sealed ;  that  he  had  '  grieved  the  Spirit  of 
God  whereby  he  had  been  sealed ;'  that  he  had  (  sinned 
against  the  Holy  Ghost;'  that  his  case  was  hopeless,  and 
his  doom  unalterably  sealed.  He  yielded  to  the  tempta- 
tion, and  his  spirit  sank  within  him.  Now  it  was  he 
'  found  trouble  and  sorrow ;'  yea,  *  the  pains  of  hell  got 
hold  upon  him/  and  now  for  a  season  the  billows  of  the 
Divine  wrath  seemed  to  overwhelm  him.  He  was  brought 
to  the  verge  of  despair,  and  here  he  struggled  long  and 
hard.  While  thus  drinking  the  'cup  of  trembling,'  the 
wormwood  and  gall,  he  wandered  in  forests  and  mount- 
ains, by  day  and  by  night,  scarcely  taking  sufficient  rest 
or  nourishment  to  sustain  nature,  bewailing  his  lost — as 
he  believed — his  hopeless  condition  and  fearful  destiny. 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 

It  wag  in  this  state  of  mind  he  composed  some  of  his 
mournful  and  penitential  poems,  as  he  doubtless  thought 
and  feared,  the  funeral  dirges  of  all  his  hopes.  But 
though  bordering  on  despair,  he  continued  to  pour  out 
his  soul  in  prayer,  still  cherishing  a  faint  hope  that  mercy 
might  possibly  yet  be  extended  to  him,  and  the  rials  of 
Divine  wrath  be  turned  aside.  Often  did  he  wrestle  as 
in  an  agony,  pleading  with  God  for  mercy.  It  was  in 
consequence  of  his  thus  wandering  alone,  bewailing  his 
condition,  and  refusing  to  be  comforted,  that  he  first 
obtained  the  appellation  of  the  'wild  man/  which  cog- 
nomen consorted  equally  well  with  his  subsequent  zeal 
and  the  character  of  his  efforts  as  a  minister. 

"When  he  obtained  deliverance  it  was  sudden — instan- 
taneous as  the  lightning's  flash.  As  he  lay  alone  upon 
the  ground,  looking  up  toward  heaven  with  mingled  hope 
and  despair,  a  light  from  heaven  shone  round  about  him, 
dispelling  his  gloomy  forebodings,  and  filling  his  soul  with 
unutterable  peace  and  joy.  It  was  a  complete  triumph. 
The  transition  was  so  sudden,  so  great,  that  the  morning 
of  rapturous  joy  was  now  as  overwhelming  as  had  been 
the  long,  dark  night  of  his  sorrow.  In  the  poem  com- 
memorative of  this  event,  and  which  I  heard  him  sing 
with  the  deepest  emotions,  are  the  following  stanzas : 

nu..-  '     •      '•        .1         '•      JL--'     *-  ,    ,"  <J        t      ,\        ':  '-   _         —     •'''-'•  ..*"!'     "T^      ''•••.*•* 

'  One  evening,  pensive  as  I  laj 

Alone  upon  the  ground, 
As  I  to  God  began  to  pray, 
A  light  shone  all  around. 

Glory  to  God!  I  loudly  cried, 

My  sins  are  all  forgiven ; 
For  me,  for  me  the  Savior  died ; 

My  peace  is  made  with  heav'n.' 

"  Having  been  thus  severely  schooled  by  experience  in 
the  evils  of  sin,  and  having  tasted  the  joys  of  salvation, 
he  became  exceedingly  zealous  for  the  honor  of  that  God 


SKETCHES    OF 

whose  mercy  had  so  marvelously  saved  him,  and,  deeply 
concerned  for  the  salvation  of  his  perishing  fellow-men, 
he  immediately  engaged  in  calling  sinners  to  repentance. 

"Mr.  Grenade  entered  the  traveling  connection  in 
1802,  in  the  Western  conference,  and  was  appointed  that 
year  to  Green  circuit,  with  Moses  Floyd  in  charge.  In 
1803  he  was  appointed  to  Holston  circuit,  with  Thomas 
Milligan  in  charge;  but  Milligan  was  afterward  sent  to 
Clinch,  and  Grenade  was  left  in  charge.  The  Holston 
circuit  then  embraced  a  large  extent  of  country  in  East 
Tennessee,  in  the  bounds  of  which  my  father  then  lived. 
Whether  Grenade  was  left  with  or  without  a  colleague,  I 
know  not;  one  thing  is  certain,  however,  he  was  abund- 
ant in  labors,  insomuch  that  his  career  as  an  itinerant 
was  brief.  His  circuits  were  large,  his  rides  long,  and 
much  of  the  time  he  labored  both  day  and  night;  for 
where  he  had  not  regular  appointments,  his  zeal  and  ex- 
traordinary labors  rendered  him  so  notorious  that  the 
people  would  throng  him.  Though  often  coy,  shy,  and 
fearful  of  approaching  too  near,  yet  they  flocked  to  see 
and  hear  him ;  and  he  was  ever  ready  to  speak  for  his 
Master ;  ever  ready  to  warn,  to  instruct,  to  comfort,  to 
pray,  or  to  sing,  as  opportunity  offered  or  occasion  re- 
quired. He  obeyed  the  injunction,  'Work  while  it  is 
called  to-day.'  Such  was  his  zeal  for  God,  and  his  con- 
cern for  the  souls  of  men,  that  he  seemed  to  have  forgot- 
ten himself,  or  to  disregard  the  effects  of  his  excessive 
labors  upon  his  own  frail  constitution ;  and  his  success 
may  be  learned  from  the  official  reports  from  the  fields  of 
his  toil. 

"At  this  time  my  father  resided  on  Roseberry  creek, 
a  small  tributary  of  the  Holston  river,  in  Knox  county, 
Tennessee.  About  two  miles  distant  was  a  preaching- 
place,  where  the  family  were  in  the  habit  of  attending 
preaching,  and  where  my  two  eldest  sisters,  about  this 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  293 

time,  joined  the  little  society.  It  was  daring  this  year,  I 
think,  in  the  month  of  June,  and  about  two  months  before 
my  father's  death,  that  Mr.  Grenade  made  one  of  his 
primitive  pastoral  visits  to  oar  family.  Though  I  was 
then  hat  a  child,  I  have  a  vivid  recollection  of  this  visit. 
Some  of  the  family  had  been  to  hear  him  preach,  and  ho 
came  home  with  them.  Soon  after  they  returned  from 
meeting  word  was  sent  to  my  uncle's  family,  who  lived 
on  an  adjoining  farm,  and  I  think  to  some  other  near 
neighbors,  that  Mr.  Grenade  was  there,  and  would  be 
glad  to  see  and  converse  with  as  many  as  could  conven- 
iently collect.  Soon  after  dinner  the  family  were  col- 
lected. My  uncle's  family,  with  others,  came  in.  All 
being  seated  in  the  largest  room  of  the  farm-house — we 
had  no  parlors  in  the  country  in  those  days — the  table 
was  set  out  a  little  distance  from  the  wall,  and  the  books 
placed  upon  it.  The  preacher  then  came  from  his  room, 
was  introduced  to  the  company,  and  then  took  his  sta* 
tion  by  the  table,  my  father  sitting  by  his  side.  He  first 
read  a  portion  of  Scripture,  sung  a  hymn,  and  prayed. 
Well  do  I  remember  the  earnestness,  fervor,  and  unction 
of  his  prayer.  He  then  gave  an  exhortation,  in  which 
he  waxed  quite  warm,  frequently  moving  the  table  for- 
ward before  him,  till  at  the  close  of  his  exhortation  it 
stood  near  the  center  of  the  room.  His  hearers,  except 
my  father  and  elder  sisters,  being  unaccustomed  to  such 
stentorian  addresses,  kept  as  respectful  and  non-committal 
a  distance  as  the  dimensions  of  the  domestic  chapel 
would  permit.  And  as  to  my  little  self,  being  among 
the  youngest  of  his  auditors,  and  extremely  timid  by 
nature,  I  was  partly  hid  in  the  bushes  in  the  fireplace. 
It  was  customary  in  those  days,  in  the  warm  season  of 
the  year,  to  clean  out  this  recess,  paint  the  hearth,  and 
adorn  it  with  green  bushes  from  the  woods  and  flowers 
from  the  garden.  The  exhortation  over  he  sang  again, 

25* 


294:  SKETCHES    OF 

and  then  proceeded  to  speak  personally  to  each  individual 
present.  Well  do  I  remember  what  a  chill  ran  over  me 
when,  in  passing  round  the  room  in  his  earnest  manner, 
rubbing  his  hands,  he  came  opposite  to  where  I  sat, 
reaching  forth  his  hand,  and  laying  it  upon  my  head, 
implored  the  blessing  of  'Him  that  dwelt  in  the  bush' 
to  rest  upon  the  child.  At  that  moment  my  heart  seemed 
to  sink  within  me ;  but  '  coupled  with  fear '  was  a  rever- 
ence for  the  man.  I  wept,  I  loved  him;  for  I  really 
believed  he  wished  us  all  to  be  saved.  After  conversing 
with,  and  earnestly  exhorting  all  in  the  room,  he  came 
again  to  the  place  of  beginning;  and  never  shall  I  forget 
the  attitude  in  which  he  stood  before  my  father.  Rub- 
bing his  hands  briskly,  lifting  his  feet  alternately,  and 
letting  them  down  with  no  very  slow  or  light  tread, 
breathing  deep  inspirations  drawn  through  his  teeth,  he 
almost  literally  danced,  like  David  before  the  ark.  After 
indulging  for  some  moments  in  this  ebullition  of  feeling, 
in  which  not  a  word  was  spoken,  his  full  soul  found 
vent  in-an  outburst  of  blessing  and  thanksgiving  to  God 
that,  though  the  harvest  was  large,  and  the  laborers  so 
few  in  that  region,  he  had  found  one  who  was  laboring 
faithfully  in  the  wilderness  to  prepare  the  way  of  the 
Lord.  He  then  walked  the  room  for  some  time,  singing 
hymns  and  spiritual  songs,  mostly  of  his  own  composing. 
His  earnest  manner,  the  shrill  and  musical  tones  of  his 
voice,  his  speaking  eye,  now  beaming  with  joy,  and  now 
suffused  with  tears,  alternating  with  the  varied  emotions 
of  his  ardent  soul,  which  seemed  to  be  full  of  the  mighty 
thoughts  that  were  struggling  within  and  seeking  an 
utterance,  made  such  an  impression  upon  my  heart  at 
the  time,  that  the  lapse  of  half  a  century,  with  all  its 
vicissitudes,  has  not  erased.  I  even  yet  recollect  some 
of  the  stanzas  he  there  sung,  especially  those  relating 
to  his  own  experience,  in  which  he  so  vividly  portrays 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  295 

his  condition,  as  when,  in  the  anguish  of  his  soul,  he 
poured  forth  his  wild  and  bitter  wail  of  despair : 

'  0,  that  I  were  some  bird  or  beast ; 

Some  wolf,  or  stork,  or  owl ! 
Some  lofty  tree  should  bear  my  nest, 
Or  through  the  desert  prowl.' 

And  then  his  joyful  deliverance,  as  given  above.  This 
stanza  is,  I  think,  nearly  verbatim  from  his  experience) 
as  originally  versified  by  himself. 

"  At  the  close  of  these  services,  which,  to  the  best  of 
my  recollection,  lasted  not  less  than  two  hours,  the  com- 
pany retired  with  his  blessing.  This  interview,  I  pre- 
sume, was  never  forgotten  by  any  who  were  then  present. 
Such  pastoral  visits  were  seldom  in  those  days,  and  such 
a  one  I  have  not  witnessed  since.  The  evening  was 
spent  by  Mr.  Grenade  and  my  father  in  conversation  on 
the  all-important  subject  of  their  work — the  work  of  sav- 
ing souls.  These  were  times  that  demanded  and  called 
into  requisition  all  the  wisdom,  the  fortitude,  and  the 
patient  perseverance  of  the  few  and  widely-scattered 
laborers  then  in  the  field. 

"The  next  morning,  after  family  worship  and  an  early 
breakfast,  these  servants  of  God,  with  renewed  vows  of 
fidelity  in  their  work,  parted  for  the  last  time.  In  a  few 
weeks  from  this  time  my  father  died  suddenly  of  apo- 
plexy. Though  he  fell  unexpectedly,  in  high  health, 
and  in  the  strength  of  manhood,  he  fell  with  the  trumpet 
at  his  mouth.  It  was  on  the  Sabbath.  He  had  an  ap- 
pointment to  preach  at  eleven  o'clock  that  day,  but  his 
work  was  done.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  he 
was  heard  breathing  in  an  unusual  and  laborious  manner. 
In  a  few  moments  a  light  was  procured,  and  his  family 
gathered  around  his  bed.  But  he  spoke  not;  death  was 
doing  its  work  in  a  summary  manner;  and  he 

'Ceased  at  once  to  work  and  lire.' 


SKETCHES    OF 

"I  have  said  Grenade  was  a  poet.  His  poetry  was 
characteristic  of  the  man,  and  his  style  as  a  preacher 
bold,  towering,  often  tinctured  with  the  'awfully  sub- 
lime/ yet  flowing  with  ease  and  naturalness,  and  some- 
times extremely  tender  and  pathetic.  In  my  childhood 
I  memorized  many  of  his  'spiritual  songs;'  but  have  for- 
gotten most  of  them.  I  have  not  seen  any  of  them  in 
their  original  dress  for  many  years,  and  fear  they  are  '  out 
of  print.'  Some  vestiges  of  them,  occasionally  found  in 
compilations,  are  so  mangled  and  distorted  that  the 
author,  if  living,  would  hardly  recognize  them. 

"  Mr.  Grenade  labored  but  three  years  as  an  itinerant. 
His  zeal  carried  him  beyond  his  strength,  and  under  his 
indefatigable  labors  and  exposures  in  the  new  settlements 
his  health  failed,  and  he  located.  My  last  information 
of  him  was,  that  he  was  practicing  medicine  somewhere 
in  south-western  Tennessee." 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  297 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE    WESTERN    METHODIST    BOOK    CONCERN. 


A  SKETCH  of  the  history  of  this  institution,  so  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  interests  of  Methodism  in  the 
west,  should  perhaps  have  been  embraced  in  our  sketch 
of  the  origin  and  progress  of  Methodism  in  Cincinnati; 
but  as  the  Western  Book  Concern  never  has  been,  and 
never  was  designed  to  be  local  in  its  operations,  but  to 
embrace  the  entire  west  and  south  in  the  sphere  of  its 
labors,  we  have  thought  it  more  appropriate  to  assign  to 
it  a  separate  chapter. 

The  General  conference  of  1787,  having  founded  a 
Book  Concern  in  Philadelphia,  the  proceeds  of  which 
were  appropriated  mostly  to  the  establishment  of  Cokes- 
bury  College  and  district  schools,  and  which  underwent 
changes  and  modifications,  from  time  to  time,  in  its  pol- 
icy, till  it  was  removed  to  New  York  in  1804,  finally  de- 
termined to  devote  the  most  of  the  profits  to  the  enlarge- 
ment of  the  Concern  and  the  increasing  of  the  facilities 
for  the  manufacture  of  books.  Accordingly,  in  the  year 
1820,  it  was  resolved  that  a  branch  should  be  located  in 
Cincinnati,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  conferences 
west  of  the  mountains  with  Methodist  books.  The  books 
from  New  York  were  at  that  time  wagoned  to  Philadel- 
phia, and  from  thence  to  Pittsburg,  where  they  were 
shipped  on  the  Ohio  river  for  Cincinnati. 

If  about  the  time  of  which  we  are  writing,  an  individ- 
ual had  been  passing  along  Elm-street,  between  Fourth 
and  Fifth  streets,  he  would  have  seen,  on  the  corner 


298  SKETCHES    OF 

of  Elm  and  Fifth  streets,  a  small  office,  over  the  door 
of  which  he  could  have  read,  on  a  small,  rude  sign, 
"Methodist  Book  Room."  And  it  was  a  "room,"  sure 
enough ;  for  in  its  fifteen  by  twenty  capacity  great  opera- 
tions were  performed.  Like  the  log-cabins  of  our  fath- 
ers, in  which  the  kitchen,  dining-room,  sitting-room, 
chamber,  and  parlor  were  all  in  one,  this  "Book  Itoom" 
comprised  the  depository,  packing-room,  counting-room, 
and  Agent's  office.  It  was  also,  to  some  extent,  like  the 
present  Book  Room,  a  kind  of  preacher's  exchange. 
But,  as  we  were  going  to  say,  had  the  individual  we  have 
supposed  passing  along  been  disposed  to  have  looked 
within,  he  would  have  found  a  plain  but  intelligent- 
looking  man  behind  the  counter,  or  at  the  desk,  or 
bending  over  a  box  of  books  which  he  might  have  been 
packing  or  unpacking,  ready  to  receive  and  wait  upon 
him  with  words  of  kindness,  proceeding  from  an  open, 
generous  heart.  That  man  was  Martin  Rutcr,  afterward 
President  of  Alleghany  College  and  the  master  spirit 
of  the  Texas  pioneers,  where  he  labored,  suffered,  and 
died,  giving  up  his  martyr  spirit  into  the  hands  of  the 
great  Savior,  who  called  him  away  from  the  halls  of 
learning  to  traverse  the  wilds  of  Texas,  and  lay  the  foun- 
dations of  the  Church  in  that  infant  republic.  But  to 
return  from  our  digression.  In  that  small  store,  had  the 
inquiry  been  made,  there  might  have  been  found  the 
works  of  Wesley,  Fletcher,  Clarke,  and  Coke,  together 
with  the  Journals  of  Asbury  and  the  Hymn-Book  and 
Discipline.  There,  also,  he  might  have  subscribed  for 
the  Christian  Advocate  and  Zion's  Herald;  and,  had  he 
desired  to  have  become  more  intimately  acquainted  with 
the  condition  and  prospects  of  the  Church,  he  might 
have  obtained  a  copy  of  the  General  Minutes.  But  stay, 
gentle  reader,  we  are  a  little  too  fast.  The  oldest  Book 
Agent  now  living  is  here  by  our  side,  and  he  will  correct 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  299 

ns  by  telling  you  that  if  you  purchased  any  of  these 
books,  you  were  obliged  to  do  it  on  the  wholesale  prin- 
ciple, as  the  idea  of  a  retail  talewoom  was  not  thought 
of  in  that  day.  Whenever  an  individual  member  of  the 
Church  in  the  vicinity  wished  to  obtain  either  of  the 
books  named,  he  would  call  at  or  send  a  message  to  the 
house  of  brother  Ruter,  close  by  the  Book  Room,  where 
it  could  be  had. 

Such  was  the  Western  Book  Concern  in  the  year  1820, 
thirty-four  years  ago.  What  it  has  been  since,  and 
through  all  the  progressive  stages  of  its  development  till 
the  present  time,  we  shall  endeavor  briefly  to  describe. 
At  first  it  was  a  mere  depository,  not  even  regarded  as  a 
branch  of  the  parent  Concern  at  New  York,  and,  of 
course,  it  was  neither  expected  nor  desired  that  it  should 
engage  in  the  publication  of  any  books.  All  that  was 
published  by  Dr.  Ruter,  during  his  connection  with  the 
Concern,  was  a  Scriptural  Catechism  and  Primer;  but 
these  were  on  his  own  individual  responsibility.  Under 
all  the  embarrassing  circumstances  in  which  he  was 
called  to  carry  on  the  business,  the  Doctor  managed  it 
well ;  and,  though  the  total  receipts  for  the  first  year  did 
not  amount  to  as  much  as  is  now  received  sometimes  in  a 
few  days,  being  little  over  four  thousand  dollars,  yet,  con- 
sidering the  times,  it  was  a  pretty  good  business. 

At  that  time  there  was  a  specific  rule  in  the  Discipline 
which  rendered  an  Agent  ineligible  to  re-election  after 
he  had  been  serving  in  that  office  eight  years.  Dr. 
Ruter's  term  having  expired  by  limitation  in  1828,  the 
General  conference,  which  was  held  at  Pittsburg,  elected 
the  Rev.  Charles  Holliday  as  Agent  of  the  Concern  in 
Cincinnati.  As  the  successor  of  Dr.  Ruter,  he  set  him- 
self to  work  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  busi- 
ness, which,  though  at  that  time  was  not  very  intricate, 
still  required  some  knowledge  of  the  book  business. 


300  SKETCHES    OF 

Besides,  at  that  time  there  were  no  clerks  who  had  grown 
up  in  the  establishment,  like  the  Messrs.  Kilbreth,  Phil- 
lips, and  Doughty,  and  others,  to  whom  the  Agents  could 
look  for  information ;  and,  hence,  they  had  to  begin  with 
the  A  B  C  of  the  Concern,  and  study  out  its  policy  and 
operations  as  opportunity  presented  and  as  circumstances 
might  require.     In  process  of  time  it  became  necessary 
to  remove  the  Book  .Room  to  another  place,  and,  accord- 
ingly, brother  Holliday  rented  a  house  on  George-street, 
between  Race  and  Elm,  and  appropriated  the  front  room 
for  the  storage  and  package  of  books  and  every  thing 
else  belonging  to  the  establishment.      After  occupying 
this  location  for  upward  of  two  years,  it  was  thought  best 
to  make  another  removal,  and  the  Concern  was  accord- 
ingly removed  to  the  west  side  of  Walnut,  between  Third 
and  Fourth  streets,  in  a  stone  building,  which  is  still 
standing,  on  the  north-west  corner  of  Baker  and  Walnut 
streets,  Mr.  Henry  Shaffer,  who   is   still  living  in  Cin- 
cinnati, being  a  clerk.     Greater  facilities  were  afforded 
here  for  carrying  on  the  operations,  as  it  was  in  a  more 
business  part  of  the  city.     The  Concern  occupied  thia 
location  till  the  General  conference  of  1832,  when  it  was 
determined  that  its  operations  should  be  enlarged  by  the 
appointment  of  two  Agents  and  the  removal  to  a  still 
more  conspicuous  part  of  the  city,  and  one  more  favorable 
to  business  facilities.     Accordingly,  the  Rev.  C.  Holliday 
was  re-elected  Principal  and  the  Rev.  John  F.  Wright 
Assistant  Book  Agent,  and  the  establishment  was  again 
removed,  to  the  west  side  of  Main-street,  a  few  doora 
above  Sixth-street,  in  a  storehouse  owned  by  Josiah  Law- 
rence, Esq.     Here  the  operations  of  the  Concern  were 
greatly  enlarged,  and  its  efficiency  in  supplying  the  west- 
ern and  southern  country  with  Methodist  literature  be- 
came apparent  to  all.     The  demand  for  Hymn-Books  and 
Disciplines,  particularly,  having  greatly  increased,  and  it 


V.ESTERN    METHODISM.  301 

being  difficult  at  all  times  to  supply  this  demand,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  difficulty  connected  with  the  modes  of 
transportation,  it  was  determined  to  publish  these  works 
in  the  west,  which,  in  due  time,  was  done,  the  Ilymn- 
Book  being  the  first  book  published  by  authority.  In 
the  spring  of  the  year  1834  the  publication  of  the  West- 
ern Christian  Advocate  was  commenced  at  the  Concern, 
and  the  Rev.  Thomas  A.  Morris  was  appointed  Editor. 
This  paper  has  been  increasing  its  patronage  subscription 
list  from  that  time,  during  all  the  periods  of  its  history, 
to  the  present  day.  No  Church  paper  in  the  country  has 
been  more  popular,  or  received  a  more  extensive  patron- 
age, and  had  a  greater  circulation,  than  the  Western 
Christian  Advocate.  But  more  of  this  anon.  In  the 
year  1836  the  General  conference  struck  out  of  the  Dis- 
cipline the  provision  which  limited  the  office  of  Book 
Agent  to  eight  years,  and  the  Agents  of  the  Western 
Book  Concern  were  not  required  to  act  any  longer  in  a 
subordinate  capacity  to  the  New  York  Concern,  but  to 
"  co-operate  with  them."  They  were  also  authorized  to 
publish  any  book  in  the  General  Catalogue  when,  in  their 
judgment  and  that  of  the  Book  Committee,  it  would  be 
advantageous  to  the  interests  of  the  Church ;  provided 
that  they  should  not  publish  type  editions  of  such  books 
as  were  stereotyped  at  New  York.  The  conference  also 
appointed  an  Assistant  Editor  of  the  Western  Christian 
Advocate.  The  persons  elected  were  Rev.  Charles 
Elliott,  D.  D.,  Principal,  and  Rev.  William  Phillips, 
Assistant  Editor.  The  Book  Agents  were  also  authorized, 
with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Book  Committee, 
to  procure  a  lot  of  ground,  and  erect  thereon  suitable 
buildings  for  a  printing  office,  Book  Room,  and  bindery; 
and  for  that  end  they  were  allowed  to  appropriate  such 
moneys  in  their  hands  as  they  could  spare  from  the  Con- 
cern, together  with  any  donations  that  might  be  made  for 

26 


302  SKETCHES    OF 

that  purpose  in  the  west.  At  this  conference  Rev.  J.  F. 
Wright  was  elected  Principal  and  Rev.  L.  Swormstedt, 
Assistant  Agent.  After  much  consultation,  a  lot  on  the 
corner  of  Eighth  and  Main  streets,  known  as  the  St. 
Clair  property,  on  which  stood  the  mansion  of  General 
St.  Clair,  surrounded  by  lofty  trees,  was  selected  as  the 
site.  In  its  day  this  was  regarded  as  a  princely  mansion, 
and  even  yet  it  presents  the  appearance  of  a  venerable 
old  pile.  Around  it,  could  its  history  be  written,  might 
doubtless  be  gathered  many  thrilling  recollections  of 
olden  time.  Here,  doubtless,  many  a  levee  and  soiree 
has  been  held  by  the  officers  of  old  Fort  Washington  and 
the  army  of  General  St.  Clair.  It  stood  back  upward  of 
a  hundred  feet  from  Main-street,  in  the  center  of  the  lot, 
and  hence  it  was  not  necessary  to  remove  it  for  the 
buildings  which  were  to  be  erected.  But  more  of  thia 
mansion  hereafter. 

Preparations  were  made  as  soon  as  possible  for  putting 
up  the  necessary  buildings,  and  a  printing  office,  in  due 
course  of  time,  was  erected,  on  the  rear  of  the  lot,  four 
stories  high,  and  sufficiently  large  for  all  the  purposes 
of  printing.  The  first  book  printed  and  published  by 
the  Concern  from  manuscript  was  Phillips's  Strictures, 
the  publication  of  which  was  ordered  by  the  Ohio  con- 
ference. We  have  already  made  an  allusion  to  this  work 
in  our  sketch  of  its  author.  The  next  work  was  the 
Wyandott  Mission,  which  was  followed  by  Morris's  Ser- 
mons, Life  of  Roberts,  Power  on  Universalism,  Tomlin- 
son's  Millennium,  Shaffer  on  Baptism,  History  of  Ger- 
man Missions,  House's  Sketches,  Memoir  of  Mrs.  Sears, 
Anecdotes  of  Wesley,  Prison  Life,  History  of  Methodist 
Episcopal  Missions,  Ohio  Conference  Offering,  Butler's 
Analogy  with  Analysis,  Objections  to  Calvinism,  Carroll's 
Exposition,  Morris's  Miscellany,  Domestic  Piety,  Memoir 
of  Gurley,  Life  of  Quinn,  Larrabee's  Evidences,  Life  of 


WESTEKN    METHODISM.  303 

Collins,  American  Slavery,  Wesloy  and  his  Coadjutors, 
Letters  to  School  Girls,  Lorrain's  Sea-Sermons,  Miley  ott 
Class  Meetings,  Life  and  Times  of  Wiley,  Autobiog- 
raphy of  Finley,  Positive  Theology,  Asbury  and  his 
Coadjutors,  Life  of  Gatch,  etc.  We  may  not  h^ve  given 
these  in  the  exact  order  of  time  in  which  they  were  pub- 
lished; but  it  is  sufficient  to  answer  all  the  purposes  of  a 
sketch,  and  the  reader  can  see  what  has  been  done  since 
1836  in  the  publication  of  original  works.  Besides  these, 
numerous  reprints,  both  English  and  German,  in  the 
latter  of  which  are  several  original  publications,  and  a 
large  number  of  pamphlets  and  tracts,  too  numerous  to 
mention,  have  been  issued  from  time  to  time.  For  many 
of  the  reprints  duplicate  stereotype  plates  were  received 
from  the  Concern  in  New  York. 

In  the  year  1839  a  charter  for  the  Western  Book  Con- 
cern was  obtained  from  the  Legislature  of  Ohio.  In  tho 
year  1840  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Wright  was  re-elected,  and  Rev. 
L.  Swormstedt  continued  Assistant  Agent,  at  which  time 
the  Agents  wero  authorized  to  publish  a  monthly  period- 
ical adapted  to  the  ladies.  This  work  was  commenced  in 
January,  1841,  with  the  title  of  "Ladies'  Repository  and 
Gatherings  of  the  West  j"  and  Rev.  L.  L.  Hamline,  As- 
sistant Editor  of  tho  Advocate,  wag  appointed  its  Editor. 
The  Agents  also  had  authority  to  publish  any  book  which 
had  not  previously  been  published  by  the  Agents  at  New 
York,  when  in  their  judgment,  and  that  of  the  Book 
Committee,  the  demand  for  such  publication  would  ju.s- 
tify,  and  the  interest  of  the  Church  required  it.  They 
were,  however,  prohibited  from  reprinting  any  of  the 
larger  works,  such  as  the  Commentaries,  quarto  Bibles, 
etc.  They  were  also  authorized  to  publish  such  books 
and  tracts  as  were  recommended  by  the  General  confer- 
ence, aad  any  new  works  which  the  editors  should  ap- 
prove, and  the  Book  Committee  and  annual  conference 


304:  SKETCHES   OF 

recommend.  This  year  a  German  paper,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  German  Methodists,  was  established  at  Cincinnati, 
entitled  Der  Christliche  Apologete,  and  the  Rev.  William 
Nast  was  elected  Editor.  The  Agents  were  also,  by  a  rule 
passed  at  this  conference,  required  to  remit  to  the  Agents 
at  New  York,  as  largely  and  frequently  as  their  funds 
would  allow,  and  to  the  full  amount  of  stock  furnished, 
if  practicable.  They  were  also  required  to  remit  all  sur- 
plus funds  not  required  for  carrying  on  the  business,  to 
be  added  to  the  profits  of  the  Concern  at  New  York. 

In  process  of  time  a  lot  adjoining  the  St.  Glair  man- 
sion was  purchased,  and  after  the  Book  Concern  proper 
was  erected,  a  large  four-story  building  was  placed  upon 
it,  which  is  occupied  by  stores,  the  rent  of  which  yields 
a  handsome  income.  The  entire  lot,  on  which  stand 
both  of  the  buildings,  is  upward  of  one  hundred  feet, 
fronting  on  Main-street,  and  runs  entirely  back  to  the 
alley,  inclosed  on  Eighth-street,  from  the  Book  Room  to 
the  printing  office,  by  a  high  brick  wall.  The  main 
building  is  upward  of  fifty  feet  front,  and  upward  of  a 
hundred  feet  deep,  six  stories  high,  two  having  been 
added  the  past  year.  The  first  floor  in  front  is  divided 
into  a  large  sales-room  and  clerks'  offices,  in  the  rear  of 
which  is  the  office  of  the  Agents.  Immediately  in  the 
rear  of  the  sales-room  is  a  private  room,  fitted  up  with 
great  neatness,  for  the  Book  Committee,  or  the  transac- 
tion of  any  business  connected  with  the  Concern.  In 
one  side  of  this  room  has  been  built  a  substantial  brick 
•vault,  with  iron  doors,  for  the  safe-keeping  of  the  ac- 
count-books, etc.  In  the  rear  of  the  front  rooms  is  the 
packing  department,  which  extends  the  whole  width  of 
the  building.  On  the  second  floor,  over  the  front  rooms, 
is  the  depository  for  the  books  of  the  General  Catalogue, 
and  the  Sunday  school  publications  are  in  the  rear,  as 
also  the  German  publications  and  tracts.  The  rooms  on 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  305 

the  third  floor  are  occupied  by  three  embossing-presses, 
which  are  worked  and  heated  by  steam  from  the  boiler 
under  the  yard  of  the  printing  office.  In  this  room  there 
are  thirteen  hands  constantly  employed.  The  fourth 
story  is  also  occupied  with  the  bindery,  in  which  there 
are  sixteen  hands.  The  fifth  story,  which  is  exclusively 
occupied  by  females,  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr. 
White,  is  devoted  to  those  branches  of  the  business  in- 
cluded in  the  bindery  appropriate  to  females,  such  as 
folding,  sewing,  stitching,  gathering,  collating,  etc.  In 
this  department  there  are  thirty-six  girls.  The  sixth 
story  is  a  general  depository  for  stock.  The  whole  estab- 
lishment is  heated  with  steam,  which  is  conducted 
through  pipes  from  the  boiler  all  through  the  building. 
The  first  story  is  lighted  with  gas,  which  is  often  nec- 
essary during  dark  days,  of  which  there  are  many  in  Cin- 
cinnati. The  whole  establishment  has  recently  under- 
gone a  most  complete  and  thorough  repair  and  remodel- 
ing, and  every  department  is  reduced  to  a  system  of 
operations  which  would  compare  favorably  with  any  simi- 
lar establishment.  The  number  of  clerks  employed  at 
present  in  the  Book  Room  is  eight,  beside  two  or  three 
in  the  mailing  department.  The  whole  number  of  hands 
in  the  bindery,  exclusive  of  the  foreman,  Mr.  Vande- 
water,  is  sixty-four,  of  which  twenty-eight  are  males  and 
thirty-six  are  females. 

We  now  come  to  describe  the  printing  office ;  but 
before  doing  so,  as  it  is  on  our  way,  we  will  ask  our 
reader  to  pass  with  us  out  of  the  Book  Room,  on  Main- 
street,  and,  turning  to  the  right,  enter  with  us  an  avenue 
between  the  last-mentioned  place  and  the  building  appro- 
priated to  stores,  which  will  conduct  us  to  the  old  man- 
sion, alluded  to  above.  A  fire  having  recently  occurred 
in  an  adjoining  building,  which  destroyed  part  of  the 
roof  of  the  "mansion,"  the  heavy  and  elaborately-wrought 

26* 


306  SKETCHES    OF 

cornice  which  once  ornamented  this  ancient  building  has 
been  removed,  and  the  walls  run  up,  the  better  to  protect 
the  building  from  such  accidents  in  future.  Before  us 
is  the  spacious  double  doorway,  in  front  of  which  is  the 
massy  door-stone,  which  has  been  pressed  by  the  feet  of 
many  who  have  long  since  been  gathered  to  the  tomb. 
At  the  left,  on  entering,  you  will  discover  over  the  door, 
"  Library."  This  room  is  nicely  fitted  up  with  cases  for 
books  on  all  sides;  and  here  may  be  found  a  large,  and, 
in  some  respects,  rare  and  curious  library.  Many  an 
ancient  tome  of  Latin  and  Greek,  over  which  the  "  old 
man  learned"  has  pored,  in  the  days  when  tied  to  the 
linguistic  chair  in  college,  or  searching  for  the  doctrines 
and  rites  of  the  Tridentine  councils,  that  he  might  pre- 
sent to  the  world  a  true  delineation  of  the  Mother  of 
Harlots  or  the  Man  of  Sin.  But  this  library  is  not  rich 
in  patristic  lore  alone;  it  embraces  the  whole  range  of 
Biblical  literature,  and  a  considerable  of  what  may  be 
called  general  and  polite.  The  rooms  on  the  right  are  oc- 
cupied by  Mr.  Boyd,  a  gentleman  connected  with  the 
Concern,  while  the  rear  below  is  occupied  by  the  faithful 
Charles,  the  messenger.  Let  us  now  ascend  the  ancient 
stairway.  Two  flights  and  we  reach  the  landing,  in  front 
of  which  is  the  room  occupied  by  the  Editor  of  the 
Ladies'  Repository,  Rev.  D.  W.  Clark,  D.  D.  To  look 
at  the  Doctor's  case,  which  stands  to  the  left  there, 
against  the  wall,  with  pigeon-boxes  labeled  to  receive 
exchange  periodicals,  such  as  quarterlies  and  monthlies, 
and  the  most  of  which  seem  to  be  occupied,  you  would 
think  the  organ  of  order  was  strongly  developed;  and  it 
may  be  for  aught  we  know;  but  if  you  will  cast  a  glance 
at  his  table  you  would  be  led  to  infer  almost  any  thing 
else.  Perhaps,  like  ourself,  he  is  a  great  lover  of  order, 
but  can't  take  the  time  always  to  put  his  odds  and  ends 
to  rights.  He  is,  however,  quite  good-natured,  and, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  307 

though  he  don't  like  to  be  hored  much,  yet  will  not 
become  nervous  and  lose  his  balance  at  our  prying  looks. 
You  will  perceive,  however,  that  he  has  a  sanguine  tem- 
perament, and  it  won't  do  to  try  him  too  much;  so  we  will 
pass  into  the  next  apartment.  It  would  be  well  enough, 
in  passing,  to  say,  that  the  Doctor  is  winning  golden 
honors  for  the  Repository,  as  the  increase  in  the  subscrip- 
tion list  will  abundantly  show.  This  narrow  room  is 
occupied  by  Dr.  Nast,  the  Editor  of  the  Apologist,  and 
the  apostle  of  the  Germans.  There  seems  to  be  a  Ger- 
man air  diffused  all  around  this  apartment.  The  Doctor 
is  at  his  desk  writing  an  editorial,  or  perhaps  translating, 
or  it  may  be  poring  over  German  and  Latin  Commenta- 
ries, for  the  purpose  of  consulting  authorities  in  making 
his  Exposition.  He  is  a  kind,  good-natured  man,  a 
fine  scholar,  and  an  earnest,  evangelical  preacher.  His 
books,  his  papers,  his  assistant,  and  his  very  stove  and 
table,  all  seem  to  be  German ;  and,  as  we  don't  under- 
stand his  language,  let  us  go  into  the  next  room.  On 
the  right  there,  sitting  on  that  rocking-chair,  with  one 
shoe  off,  and  the  other  slip-shod,  with  a  pile  of  old  manu- 
scripts and  papers,  and  a  stray  old  book  or  two,  lying  on 
the  table  in  glorious  confusion,  sits  Dr.  Elliott.  See  how 
incessantly  he  nods  and  shakes  his  massy  head  as  he 
reads  on,  with  his  spectacles  on  the  top  of  his  head !  He 
is  not  angry  nor  excited,  though  he  thus  frowns  and 
shakes  his  head ;  for  he  is  good-natured  and  clever,  but 
he  is  deeply  engaged  and  interested.  He  is  an  intellect- 
ual giant;  and  though  he  looks  rough  and  unpolished  in 
regard  to  his  personnel,  yet,  like  the  lumbering  road- 
wagon  of  olden  time,  he  bears  a  precious  freight — all 
bullion. 

Do  you  see  on  the  left  there,  standing  by  a  desk,  with 
several  slips  of  paper  with  different  headings  lying  before 
him,  and  the  latest  papers,  a  foot  or  two  thick,  neatly 


308  SKETCHES    OF 

piled  up  on  the  table  beside  him,  a  pale,  attenuated-look- 
ing young  man  ?  In  one  hand  is  a  pen,  and  in  the  other — 
fearing  some  official  will  carry  them  off — is  clutched  with 
nervous  energy  a  pair  of  long,  sharp-pointed  scissors. 
Well,  that  is  the  Assistant  Editor,  to  whom  you  are  in- 
debted for  all  the  news-items,  general  and  local,  in  the 
Advocate,  appropriately  arranged  in  the  different  depart- 
ments. Poor  House  !  he  goes  frequently  to  the  gymna- 
sium, on  Third-street,  besides  walking  to  the  side  of  Mt. 
Auburn  twice  a  day,  and  preaching  on  Sabbath;  but, 
notwithstanding  all  this  exercise,  he  looks  cadaverous 
and  pale,  as  though  he  had  been  for  years  shut-  out  from 
the  light  of  day,  in  some  monastic  cell,  engaged  day  and 
night  with  the  pen.  He  bears  it  all,  however,  with  great 
patience;  and  there,  in  his  long,  office-gown,  from  Mon- 
day morn  till  Saturday  night,  he  stands  like  Patience  on 
a  monument. 

But  we  must  leave  these  editors  alone  in  their  glory. 
We  will  now  go  down  the  private  stairway,  and  enter  the 
printing  office  in  the  yard  of  which  you  will  see  a  brick 
building  for  wetting  and  pressing  paper.  On  the  first 
floor  of  the  printing  establishment  are  four  Adams 
presses  and  one  cylinder  press,  on  which  are  printed 
the  Advocate,  Ladies'  Repository,  Apologist,  Sunday 
School  Advocate,  and  the  various  books  of  the  Concern. 
These  presses  are  fed  mostly  by  girls.  There  are  in  this 
room  eight  hands.  In  the  room  above  the  mailing  of  all 
the  Church  periodicals  is  performed  by  seven  hands.  On 
the  left  is  the  German  composing-room,  with  three  or  four 
hands.  Above  this,  on  the  third  floor,  are  the  compos- 
ing-rooms, in  which,  including  the  foreman  of  the  estab- 
lishment, Mr.  R.  P.  Thompson,  there  are  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  compositors.  The  fourth  floor  is  the  drying  and 
pressing  department,  in  which  there  is  one  hydraulic  and 
one  screw  press.  Here  there  are  three  hands.  In  one 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  309 

corner  of  this  room,  partitioned  off,  is  a  smaller  one, 
occupied  by  Mr.  Gale,  the  very  correct  proof-reader  for 
the  Concern,  to  whom  many  a  blunderer  in  orthography, 
etymology,  syntax,  prosody,  and  punctuation  is  indebted 
for  making  him  appear  respectable  in  the  world  of  letters. 
Adjoining  the  printing  office  is  a  building  erected  for  the 
carpenter,  Mr.  Hand,  who  is  constantly  employed  in  the 
manufacture  of  boxes,  and  in  making  repairs  about  the 
establishment.  At  the  other  end  of  the  printing  office 
is  a  building  containing  two  vaults,  in  which  are  depos- 
ited the  stereotype  plates. 

With  your  permission,  gentle  reader,  we  will  pass  out 
on  Eighth-street,  and  return  to  the  Book  Hoom.  We  are 
not  through  yet.  We  wish  to  introduce  you  to  the 
Agents,  which,  perhaps,  we  ought  to  have  done  first ; 
but  we  can  do  that  just  as  well  now  as  at  any  other  time, 
perhaps.  They  are,  however,  generally  known,  having 
to  travel  pretty  extensively  over  the  continent,  in  vis- 
iting the  conferences  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  the 
debts  due  the  Concern.  The  Rev.  L.  Swormstedt,  the 
senior  Agent,  who  has  been  so  many  years  connected 
with  the  Concern,  we  will  find  in  his  office  at  the  desk, 
looking  over  the  letters  received  pertaining  to  all  the 
business  connected  with  the  establishment,  and  which 
are  quite  numerous  every  day.  So  large  a  Concern  re- 
quires his  unremitting  attention.  Before  introducing 
you,  we  will  relate  what  was  said  of  him  by  one  of  the 
Commissioners  who  went  with  him  to  Pittsburg  in  1853, 
and  furnished  a  description  of  his  colleagues.  Ilere 
it  is: 

"Our  other  friend  is,  in  fullness  and  rotundity  of 
person,  somewhat  like  Falstaff.  He  seems  to  live  in  com- 
fort; and  so  commanding  is  his  person  that  he  passes 
almost  every-where  for  a  bishop.  He  preaches  with 
power;  his  enunciation  is  distinct;  every  word  comes 


310  SKETCHES    OF 

out  like  a  dollar  from  the  mint;  he  often  utters  strong 
thought,  and  never,  I  think,  drops  a  foolish  remark.  He 
has  great  energy  of  character;  he  perseveres  through  all 
difficulties,  and  makes  every  thing  bow  before  him. 
When  he  commenced  his  ministerial  career  he  was  a 
slender,  fair-haired  youth,  neat  in  his  appearance  and 
gentlemanly  in  his  manners.  He  had  been  a  merchant 
clerk.  Early  in  his  itinerancy  he  was  placed  upon  a 
circuit  which  did  not  pay  the  preacher.  The  amount 
due  was  estimated  and  divided  among  the  different 
classes;  the  year  rolled  round,  and  the  money  was  not 
collected.  At  a  certain  appointment  was  a  large  class. 
After  preaching  he  detained  it,  and  asked  the  leader 
how  much  was  collected ;  and  finding  a  large  deficit,  he 
stationed  the  leader  at  the  door,  and  ordered  him  to  let 
no  one  out  till  the  whole  amount  due  was  paid.  Taking 
the  class-book,  he  commenced  calling  the  names,  and 
insisted  on  immediate  payment  of  something  from  every 
one.  Excuses  were  made  at  first;  but  the  resolution  of 
the  preacher  was  not  to  be  resisted,  and  there  was  a  won- 
derful whispering  and  borrowing  of  change.  Having 
gone  through,  a  deficit  was  still  remaining,  and  the 
names  were  called  over  again.  Seeing  the  difficulty 
of  the  operation,  one  of  the  bystanders  who  were  out- 
side the  cabin  school-house,  put  his  hand  through  a  pane 
of  glass,  and  offered  the  preacher  fifty  cents.  '  That  will 
not  do,'  he  cried;  'you  can  not  pay  the  way  of  these 
people  to  heaven.'  Having  gone  through  a  second  time, 
there  was  still  something  due.  The  outsider  again  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  broken  pane  with  his  half  dollar, 
and  so  pressed  the  preacher  that  he  took  it,  but  observed 
that  he  should  put  it  in  the  collection — that  it  could  not 
be  credited  to  the  class — and  then  proceeded  with  the 
third  call,  which  was  an  effectual  one.  I  need  not  say 
that  he  was — as  he  deserved  to  be — paid.  For  many 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 

years  the  Church  has  wisely  availed  herself  of  his  abili- 
ties as  a  collector  and  financier.  With  all  his  sternness 
and  strength  of  character,  he  is  noted  for  his  generosity 
and  kindness  of  heart.  His  house  is  the  home  of  do- 
mestic comfort,  well-ordered  children,  and  hearty  wel- 
comes ;  his  purse  is  always  open,  his  ear  attentive  to  the 
voice  of  distress,  and  his  tongue  ever  ready  to  make  con- 
fession if  he  finds  himself  in  error.  He  is  one  of  the 
few  men  who,  with  great  capacities  and  facilities  to 
enrich  themselves,  have  chosen  rather  to  serve  the 
Church." 

From  the  above  description,  one  would  think  he  would 
make  an  admirable  Agent,  at  least  so  far  as  the  collection 
of  money  was  concerned;  and  woe  betide  you  if  you  happen 
to  find  yourself  at  conference  a  delinquent  to  the  Book 
Concern,  without  the  needful  to  meet  the  demands.  He 
seems  to  know  no  man  after  the  flesh,  but  will  ask  you, 
at  the  conference  room,  if  you  have  not  already  been  to 
see  him,  and  made  payment  or  given  your  note,  to  walk 
up  to  his  room  and  settle  your  account  accordingly.  We 
have  more  than  once  encountered  him,  and  if  we  did  not 
know  that  beneath  all  this  seemingly-rough  and  threat- 
ening exterior,  there  was  a  kind  and  generous  heart,  we 
should  have  set  him  down  as  one  of  the  most  stern  and 
unyielding  men  in  the  world.  Still,  we  have  very  often 
thought  he  could  get  along  quite  as  successfully  if  he 
were  to  put  on  a  little  more  of  the  suaviter  in  modo. 
God  has  not  constituted  all  men  alike,  .however ;  and  it 
is  a  blessed  thing  that  he  has  not,  as  it  would  not  do 
in  nature  to  have  no  rough  places.  The  overhanging, 
craggy  rock  is  relieved  by  the  peaceful  vale  which  smiles 
in  beauty  at  its  base,  and  the  storm-cloud,  with  its  fierce 
lightning  and  hoarse  thunder,  only  makes  more  pleasant 
and  delightful  the  calm,  when  clouds  and  storms  have 
passed  away. 


312  SKETG'HES     OF 

The  Church  could  not  well  do  without  Swormstedt. 
Having  been  for  so  long  a  time  engaged  in  the  business 
of  the  Book  Concern,  he  has  acquired  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  all  its  departments  and  the  general  detail  of  bus- 
iness connected  with  each.  We  think  him  admirably 
qualified  for  the  post  which  he  occupies,  and  if  it  must 
needs  be  that  the  agency  be  confined  to  the  itinerant 
ranks,  we  do  not  think  the  intereste  of  the  Concern 
could  be  better  attended  to  or  its  business  carried  on  by 
a  more  efficient  Agent  than  is  the  present  incumbent. 
We  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  policy  of  removing 
Agents  just  for  the  sake  of  rotation  in  office,  is  a  very 
questionable  policy,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  and  especially 
where  such  a  responsible  and  complicated  business  is 
concerned.  No  man,  however  great  his  business  tact  or 
qualifications,  can  enter  upon  such  an  agency,  and  be- 
come fully  acquainted  with  its  duties  short  of  one  term; 
and  when  we  consider  that  the  habits  of  preachers  are 
such  as  to  lead  the  mind  away  from  the  commerce  of  the 
world,  it  can  not  be  expected,  in  the  very  nature  of  the 
case,  that  they  could  hope  to  be  qualified  for  such  a  post 
in  so  short  a  time.  Hence,  when  integrity  and  ability 
are  found  to  exist  in  those  who  are  already  employed  in 
this  department  of  the  Church,  it  certainly  is  the  most 
safe  and  judicious  to  continue  them  in  office,  and  not 
remove  them  for  any  slight  and  transient  causes,  or 
simply  from  the  desire  of  promotion  to  office. 

Before  describing  the  Assistant,  that  gigantic  ath- 
lete who  sits  yonder  by  the  desk  in  the  packing-room, 
making  an  entry  of  a  bill  of  books,  we  will  go  back  and 
describe  the  old  Agent,  J.  F.  Wright,  who  is  now  the 
presiding  elder  of  the  East  Cincinnati  district,  and  who 
resides  in  a  most  lovely  mansion  on  one  of  the  beautiful 
slopes  of  Mount  Auburn,  concerning  which  Dr.  Dixon 
remarked  to  us,  on  his  visit  here,  that  it  reminded  him 


WESTEBN    METHODISM.  313 

more  of  England  than  any  thing  he  had  seen  since  leav- 
ing the  favored  isle.  In  the  language  of  the  friend  who 
described  brother  S.,  "he  is  a  little  above  the  medium 
hight,  stoutly  built,  a  little  stoop-shouldered,  a  silver- 
haired,  sweet-faced,  neatly-dressed  man,  of  good  business 
ability,  sensible,  safe.  He  has  a  fine  sense  of  the  ludi- 
crous, and  enjoys  a  joke  as  well  as  most  men;  but  usu- 
ally he  is  grave,  and  in  his  social  intercourse  engaging 
and  discreet,  dropping  every  now  and  then  some  useful 
remark.  A  smile  generally  plays  upon  his  countenance ; 
he  rarely  offends;  always  seeks  to  oblige;  but  is  firm 
where  principle  is  involved.  He  preaches  plain,  prac- 
tical discourses;  rarely  declaims;  and  is  to  be  ranked, 
perhaps,  with  the  weeping  prophets  or  and  loving  evan- 
gelists. He  has  written  a  book — a  neat  biography  of  one 
of  our  earlier  preachers.  Notwithstanding  his  business 
abilities,  his  extreme  caution,  and  his  forecast,  he  has 
been  overreached,  and  has  recently  lost  828,000.  He 
bears  this  with  Christian  resignation  and  calmness.  He 
is  one  of  those  cases  which  prove  that  the  race  is  not  to 
the  swift  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong.  I  am  happy  to 
say  that  he  will  not  be  left  poor,  his  good  wife  having 
property  which  is  not  affected  by  his  personal  obliga- 
tions." We  should  rather  be  disposed  to  take  him  for  a 
bishop  by  far  than  the  present  senior  incumbent  of  the 
Book  Room;  and,  if  comparisons  were  not  odious,  we 
might  have  something  to  say  about  his  possession  of 
some  peculiar  qualifications  which  Le  Boi,  the  king,  does 
not,  in  our  judgment,  possess,  as  well  as  some  traits  he 
does  possess,  which  would  not  be  very  desirable  in  a 
Methodist  bishop.  And  yet,  if  he  were  a  bishop,  lie 
would,  in  our  estimation,  come  as  near  to  Wesley  him- 
self, and  perhaps  more  so  than  Coke  or  Asbury.  Certain 
it  is,  that  whatever  he  would  do  in  the  episcopal  office 
would  be  done  in  the  fear  of  God  and  with  the  utmost 

27 


314  SKETCHES  OF 

conscientiousness;  and,  though  some  might  be  disposed 
to  question  his  judgment,  none  would  for  a  moment 
arraign  his  motives;  for  in  regard  to  honesty  and  sin- 
cerity, he  is  one  of  God's  noblest  specimens. 

It  would  be  well  enough,  also,  in  this  connection,  to 
say  a  few  things  about  the  other  Agents.  After  the 
resignation  of  Rev.  J.  F.  Wright,  in  1844,  the  Rev.  L. 
Swormstedt  was  elected  Principal  and  the  Rev.  J.  T. 
Mitchell  Assistant.  Brother  Mitchell  had  received  a 
good  training  in  the  itinerant  ranks  in  the  wilds  of  the 
west,  and,  under  the  precepts  and  examples  of  his  ven- 
erable patriarch  father,  himself  a  Methodist  preacher,  he 
came  into  the  Concern  having  nothing  to  learn,  either  as 
regarded  the  doctrines,  economy,  or  usages  of  Method- 
ism. Having  a  good  education  and  a  ready  wit,  it  did 
not  take  him  long  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the 
general  business  of  the  Concern,  and  had  he  been  allowed 
to  remain,  he  would,  doubtless,  have  been  a  valuable  ac- 
quisition to  the  Concern.  At  the  close  of  his  term,  he 
took  a  transfer  to  the  Ohio  conference,  and  was  stationed 
four  consecutive  years  in  Cincinnati.  He  is  now  sta- 
tioned in  Urbana,  and  is  the  Secretary  of  the  Cincinnati 
conference,  beloved  and  respected  by  all.  His  successor 
in  office  was  the  Rev.  John  H.  Power,  an  old  and  valued 
member  of  the  North  Ohio  conference,  who  has  made 
himself  known  and  felt  in  the  religious  and  literary 
world  as  a  preacher,  polemic,  and  author.  His  works  on 
Universalism  have  had  an  extensive  sale.  As  a  Chris- 
tian and  a  minister,  his  character  is  strongly  marked. 
His  prejudices,  if  we  may  be  allowed  to  use  the  word  in 
an  accommodated  sense,  are  strong;  and  what  he  believes 
to  be  right,  he  will  cling  to  with  the  utmost  tenacity,  if 
not  doggedness,  of  purpose.  He  has  the  sharp,  hard 
features  of  a  Calvin;  and  yet  we  hardly  think  that  he 
would  consent  to  the  burning  of  a  Servetus,  who  might 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  31& 

differ  from  him  in  opinion.  Like  his  predecessor,  how- 
ever, he  had  to  go  by  the  board  at  the  expiration  of  four 
years,  and  make  way  for  the  present  incumbent.  Since 
his  rotiracy  he  has  been  appointed  by  the  Ohio,  North 
Ohio,  Cincinnati,  and  Kentucky  conferences  as  Agent 
of  the  Tract  Society;  and  he  has  entered  upon  that  work 
with  vigor;  for  one  of  his  characteristics  is  to  engage 
with  all  his  might  in  whatever  he  undertakes. 

We  now  come  to  speak  of  the  Rev.  Adam  Poe,  the 
present  Assistant.  As  already  intimated,  he  has  a  her- 
culean frame,  and  none  would  doubt  his  being  a  descend- 
ant of  the  conqueror  of  the  Indian  Big  Foot.  Brother 
Poe  is  thoroughly  a  Methodist,  and,  though  not  yet  be- 
yond life's  prime,  has  been  a  traveling  preacher  for  many 
years.  A  faithful  and  devoted  servant  of  the  Church, 
he  is  no  less  faithful  to  the  interests  of  the  Book  Con- 
cern, ever  ready  to  spring  into  the  harness  and  work  at 
any  post  in  the  establishment.  He  seems  determined  to 
understand  all  the  details  of  business  and  do  the  work 
assigned  him  by  the  General  conference. 

We  have  given  the  reader  a  rough  and  hasty  sketch 
of  the  Book  Concern ;  but,  before  closing,  we  must  not 
omit  to  mention  the  extent  of  its  present  operations. 
We  are  informed,  by  reliable  authority,  that  the  amount 
of  sales  during  the  current  year  is  greater  than  at  any 
former  period,  and  greater  than  all  the  sales  effected  dur- 
ing many  of  the  first  years  of  the  existence  of  the  Con- 
cern. In  addition  to  the  sales,  the  Concern  issues 
twenty-six  thousand  copies  of  the  Western  Christian 
Advocate,  eighteen  thousand  copies  of  the  Ladies'  Re- 
pository, thirty  thousand  copies  of  the  Sunday  School 
Advocate,  six  thousand  copies  of  the  Missionary  Advo- 
cate, and  five  thousand  of  the  German  Apologist.  In 
view  of  what  has  been  accomplished  during  the  thirty- 
four  years  of  its  existence,  commencing  with  a  small 


316  SKETCHES    OF 

branch  Depository,  and  gradually  increasing  to  its  pres- 
ent giant  proportions  as  a  -wholesale  establishment,  what 
mind  can  calculate  its  future  expansion,  or  the  amount 
of  good  yet  to  be  accomplished  in  the  great  work  of 
spreading  a  pure  literature  and  a  Scriptural  holiness  orer 
all  these  lands ! 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  317 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

JOHN     COLLINS. 

have  been  importuned  by  several  of  our  brethren 
to  give  a  sketch  of  this  eminent  servant  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  embracing  such  incidents  connected  with 
his  life,  and  such  personal  reminiscences  as  may  serve,  in 
conjunction  with  the  biography  already  written,  to  pre- 
serve a  memory  of  the  man.  The  reader  must  allow  us 
our  own  free  and  easy  way  of  describing  the  life,  labors, 
and  character  of  this  pioneer  preacher. 

Our  first  acquaintance  with  him  was  the  result  of  an 
accident,  and  one  which  frequently  happened  to  the  pio- 
neers of  early  times  in  the  western  country.  It  came  to 
pass  that  soon  after  he  had  settled  on  the  East  Fork  of 
the  Little  Miami,  and  had  built  a  cabin,  and  was  making 
preparations  for  farming,  his  horses  strayed  away,  one  of 
which,  after  traveling  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  through 
the  wilderness,  in  a  northerly  direction,  came  to  our 
cabin.  Knowing  it  to  be  an  estray,  we  availed  ourself  of 
all  the  facilities  the  country  then  afforded  of  giving  it  an 
extensive  publication,  which  was  done  by  telling  all  our 
neighbors,  and  requesting  them  to  tell  all  their  neighbors 
and  every  body  they  saw,  that  we  had  in  our  possession  an 
estray  horse,  with  such  and  such  marks  about  him,  which 
the  owner  could  have  by  proving  property.  Not  many 
days  after  a  stranger  rode  up  to  our  door,  and  asked  us 
if  wo  had  an  estray  horse  in  our  possession.  We  told 
him  we  had,  and  invited  him  to  alight,  hitch  his  horse, 
and  walk  in.  Thanking  us  very  politely,  he  did  so;  and, 

27* 


318  SKETCHES    OF 

from  the  description  he  gave  of  the  horse,  we  were  satis- 
fied it  was  his  property.  "We  were  at  once  struck  with 
the  blandness  of  his  manners  and  his  pleasant  address. 
He  did  not  seem  to  have  the  roughness  of  the  pioneer 
farmer  about  him,  and  we  never  would  have  supposed 
him  engaged  in  such  an  occupation.  He  entered  into  a 
very  agreeable  and  pleasant  conversation  about  the  coun- 
try, the  habits  of  the  people,  and  other  matters  of  inter- 
est. For  the  short  acquaintance,  we  never  met  with  any 
individual  in  all  our  eventful  life  who  was  more  prepos- 
sessing in  his  manners.  After  having  partaken  of  the 
humble  fare  of  our  cabin,  he  made  some  inquiries  in 
regard  to  the  religious  privileges  of  the  neighborhood; 
and,  finding  that  there  were  no  meetings  held  in 
that  section,  he  expressed  regret,  and  exhorted  most 
affectionately,  with  tears,  ourself  and  wife  to  seek  God  in 
the  pardon  of  our  sins,  and  embrace  the  Savior.  When 
he  concluded,  he  said:  "I  will  preach  in  Hillsboro  on 
such  a  Sabbath;  will  you  not  come  to  meeting?"  We 
promised  to  do  so.  He  then  said,  "  My  dear  friend,  if  it 
will  be  perfectly  agreeable  to  you,  I  should  like  to  pray 
with  you  before  leaving."  "  Certainly,"  said  we,  and  the 
man  of  God  kneeled  down,  and  with  a  fervency  and  ten- 
derness which  broke  up  the  great  deep  of  our  heart,  he 
poured  out  his  soul  to  God  in  our  behalf.  His  prayer 
was  such  as  only  John  Collins  could  make.  Our  heart 
was  strangely  and  wonderfully  drawn  toward  him,  and  we 
were  won  by  his  sweetness  and  gentleness.  From  that 
hour  we  loved  him,  and  it  continued  unabated  through  a 
long  ministerial  life.  We  love  him  still  in  that  heavenly 
world,  where,  by  God's  grace,  we  hope  erelong  to  meet 
him,  and  enjoy  his  society  forever.  He  left  us  with  many 
a  benediction  upon  his  lips;  and  when  the  period  arrived 
for  him  to  preach  at  Hillsboro  we  were  there,  and  for  the 
first  time  heard  him  preach  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 


* 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  319 

to  weeping  multitudes  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the 
country.  He  had  removed  into  the  neighborhood  where 
he  then  resided  in  the  year  1803,  and  having  received 
license  to  preach  as  a  local  preacher  in  New  Jersey, 
he  improved  his  gifts  in  traveling  all  round  the  country, 
as  opportunity  presented  itself,  preaching  the  Gospel  of 
the  kingdom.  It  was  during  the  time  he  sustained  a 
local  relation  to  the  Church  that  he  preached  the  first 
Methodist  sermon  ever  preached  in  Cincinnati — as  the 
reader  has  already  seen  in  our  sketch  of  the  rise  and 
progress  of  Methodism  in  this  city.  Not  only  in  Cincin- 
nati, but  in  many  other  places  was  he  the  pioneer  of 
Methodism.  At  Columbia,  six  miles  above  Cincinnati 
proper,  he  organized  a  class;  and  while  he  would  labor 
with  his  hands  during  the  week,  he  would  start  out  on 
Saturday  afternoon  to  some  appointment,  where  he 
preached  on  the  Sabbath ;  and  the  day  of  eternity  only 
will  disclose  the  amount  of  good  accomplished  through 
his  instrumentality  in  bringing  sinners  from  darkness 
to  light,  and  building  up  the  saints  on  the  sure  foun- 
dation of  their  faith. 

After  laboring  on  his  farm  for  four  years,  during  which 
time  he  had  planted  the  Gospel  in  many  settlements  in 
the  Miami  Valley,  and  being  prospered  by  Providence, 
he  found  himself  in  a  condition,  temporally  considered, 
which  enabled  him  to  take  a  wider  field  of  labor.  He  was 
admitted  into  the  traveling  connection  in  the  year  1807. 
His  first  appointment  was  the  Miami  circuit,  which,  at 
that  period,  embraced  nearly  all  the  section  of  country 
now  included  in  the  Cincinnati  conference.  Here  was  a 
field  of  labor  that  might  have  made  a  soul  of  less  courage 
quail;  but  he  never  hesitated  at  hardships  and  danger, 
and  taking  leave  of  his  faithful,  affectionate  wife  and  lit- 
tle children,  with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  relying  upon 
the  strength  of  Israel's  God,  ho  went  forth  in  his  name 


320  SKETCHES    OV 

and  power  to  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  and  make  full 
proof  of  his  ministry.  Encouraged  by  the  promise,  "Lo, 
I  am  with  you,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world,"  his  glad 
and.  courageous  heart  could  sing, 

"  On  these  mountains  let  me  labor, 

In,  these  valleys  let  me  tell 
How  he  died,  the  blessed  Savior, 
To  redeem  lost  souls  from  hell. 

Nor  did  the  faithful  herald  labor  in  vain;  hundreds 
heard  the  glad  sound  of  salvation  from  his  lips,  and  were 
converted  to  God  through  his  instrumentality.  His  next 
appointment  was  scarcely  less  extensive.  Starting  from 
Snow  Hill,  in  Clinton  county,  he  traveled  through  High- 
land and  Ross  counties,  including  all  the  settlements  of 
Paint  creek  and  the  Scioto  river,  down  to  the  mouth, 
thence  down  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth  of  Eagle  creek,  in- 
cluding all  the  settlements  on  Sun-fish,  Scioto  Brush 
creek,  Ohio  Brush  creek,  including  West  Union  and  Man- 
chester; thence  across,  by  the  Cherry  Fork,  to  the  place 
of  beginning.  This  year  he  achieved  much  for  our  Zion 
in  the  wilderness,  and  multitudes  were  born  into  the  king- 
dom of  God.  Methodist  preachers  in  those  days  were 
no  sinecures.  They  sought  not  ease,  honor,  or  popularity ; 
and  as  for  wealth,  that  was  entirely  out  of  the  question. 
Their  hire  was  souls,  and  the  hope  of  an  eternal  reward 
impelled  them  onward  in  the  great  work  in  which  they 
were  engaged.  The  next  two  years  Collins  traveled  Deer 
Creek  circuit,  which  included  the  town  of  Chilicothe 
and  all  the  settlements  west  of  Lancaster  and  on  the 
Darbys.  On  this  circuit  lived  an  old  veteran  Methodist 
named  White  Brown,  who  immigrated  to  this  western 
country  in  an  early  day,  and  was  denominated  by  the 
Rev.  J.  Qtiinn  the  patriarch  of  the  Scioto  Valley.  lie 

*  *^ 

opened  his  house  for  the  itinerant,  and  his  wide,  gener- 
ous heart,  as  large  as  a  continent,  embraced  the  entire 


WESTERN     METHODISM. 

Church  and  all  her  interests.  His  house  was  the  con- 
stant home  of  Bishop  Asbury,  in  his  annual  visits,  and 
on  his  farm  was  the  great  camp  meeting  ground,  more 
famous  in  those  days  than  all  other  places  of  a  similar 
character,  on  account  of  the  wonderful  outpourings  of 
God's  Spirit  upon  the  listening  thousands  that  would 
annually  congregate  in  its  peaceful  groves.  White  Brown 
and  his  camp-ground  were  known  throughout  the  entire 
Methodist  connection,  and  a  narration  of  many  of  the 
scenes  which  had  occurred  at  this  consecrated  spot  had 
been  communicated  to  other  lands.  Father  Brown  and 
his  devoted  companion  have  long  since  gone  to  mingle 
with  the  sainted  Whatcoat,  Asbury,  George,  M'Kendree, 
and  others,  in  that  bright  world, 

"Where  congregations  ne'er  break  up, 
And  Sabbaths  never  end." 

The  labors  of  Collins  on  this  circuit  were  attended  with 
unexampled  prosperity.  The  Gospel  river  widened  and 
deepened  in  its  onward  flow,  and  thousands  stood  upon 
its  banks  rejoicing  in  its  fullness.  He  attended  camp 
meetings  far  and  near,  and  he  was  what  might  be  called 
emphatically  a  camp  meeting  man.  No  preacher  had  the 
power  of  rousing  the  masses,  and  holding  them  by  his 
eloquence  and  power,  to  so  great  an  extent  as  the  meek 
and  sainted  Collins.  Often  have  we  heard  him  relate  the 
story  of  the  lost  child,  describing  with  inimitable  tender- 
ness the  feelings  of  the  mother,  whom  he  tried  to  com- 
fort, but  who,  like  Rachel,  "would  not  be  comforted, 
because  her  child  was  not/'  and  then,  when  the  child 
was  found,  with  the  utmost  pathos  would  he  relate  the 
joyous  emotions  of  the  mother.  No  tragedian  ever  suc- 
ceeded better  in  transferring  the  feelings  of  a  character 
to  his  audience  in  his  impersonations,  than  did  the  inimit- 
able Collins.  So  far  was  he  from  falling  under  the  charge 


322  SKETCHES    OF 

made  by  a  tragedian  to  a  minister  of  the  G-ospel  of  rep- 
resenting fact  as  if  it  were  fiction,  that  he  became  the 
living  embodiment  of  his  theme,  and  with  a  soul  on  fire 
he  poured  out  the  living  truth  till  every  heart  was  moved. 
Often  have  we  seen  thousands  borne  down  by  his  impas- 
sioned eloquence  like  the  trees  of  the  forest  in  a  storm. 
And  it  was  irresistible.  Steel  your  heart  as  you  might; 
summon  all  your  philosophy  and  stoicism;  and  nerve  up 
your  soul  to  an  iron  insensibility  and  endurance,  sur- 
rounding it  with  a  rampart  of  the  strongest  prejudices, 
the  lightning  of  his  eloquence,  accompanied  by  the  deep- 
toned,  awfully-sublime  thunder  of  his  words,  which  came 
burning  from  his  soul,  would  melt  down  your  hardness, 
and  break  away  every  fortification  in  which  you  were 
intrenched,  while  tears  from  the  deep,  unsealed  fount- 
ains of  your  soul  would  come  unbidden,  like  the  rain. 
The  only  way  to  escape  his  power  was  to  flee  from  his 
presence  and  hearing;  for  a  Boanerges  as  well  as  a  son 
of  consolation  was  he.  Perhaps  no  man  ever  combined 
the  two  elements  here  alluded  to — power  and  pathos — 
more  than  Collins.  But  no  pen  is  fully  adequate  to 
describe  the  man,  and  we  doubt  if  any  mind  is  competent 
to  give  an  analysis  of  his  character,  as  in  it  were  blended 
strange  contrasts  and  peculiarities,  which  rendered  it 
altogether  unique  if  not  entirely  sui  generis. 

Though  apparently  a  compound  of  tenderness  and 
sympathy,  there  were  times  when  he  would  be  severe, 
and  use  the  rod.  As  an  illustration  of  this  we  will 
relate  an  incident  which  occurred  in  the  year  1809,  at  a 
camp  meeting  on  the  Scioto  bottom,  at  Foster's.  We 
have  abundant  reason  for  recollecting  well  the  time, 
place,  and  circumstances.  The  Rev.  Thomas  S.  Hinde 
and  ourself,  both  young  preachers,  and  toiling  over  with 
a  zeal  for  the  cause  of  God,  impatient  to  see  the  work 
go  on  and  carry  every  thing  before  it,  concluded  to  take 


WE8TEBN    METHODISM.  323 

the  matter  pretty  much  iiito  our  own  hands.  Accordingly, 
we  went  out  into  the  woods,  a  short  distance  from  the 
encampment,  and  commenced  singing,  for  the  purpose  of 
collecting  the  sinners  around  us,  whom  we  intended  to 
take  by  a  storm  of  exhortation.  It  was  not  long  till  a 
large  crowd  was  collected,  and  many  left  their  tents  to 
see  what  was  the  disturbance  in  the  woods.  The  wicked 
feeling  that  they  were  not  under  the  restraints  that  they 
would  be  were  they  on  the  encampment,  listening  to 
exhortation  and  prayer,  as  might  have  been  expected, 
became  noisy,  and  interrupted  us  exceedingly.  We  had 
raised  a  storm  sure  enough,  but  how  to  guide  it  was  what 
had  not  entered  into  our  calculations.  There  was  no 
telling  what  would  have  been  the  result,  as  there  were 
demons  there  in  the  form  of  men  ready  for  every  vile 
thiiig.  Just  at  this  juncture  intelligence  of  this  state 
of  things  reached  the  ears  of  brother  Collins,  and  he 
ordered  us  forthwith  to  the  preachers'  tent,  where  he 
gave  us  such  a  trimming  for  our  disorderly  proceedings 
as  boys  do  not  get  every  day.  This  was  a  chastisement 
which,  though  severe,  did  not  break  our  bones,  and 
proved  of  great  service  to  us  in  after  life. 

At  this  meeting  great  opposition  was  manifested  by 
the  wicked;  but,  notwithstanding,  though  it  seemed  all 
the  spirits  of  darkness  had  gathered  there  from  the 
knobs,  the  Sun-fish  hills,  and  the  Dividing  Ridge,  yet 
many  were  converted  to  God ;  and  of  this  happy  number 
many  were  young  people.  After  the  meeting  ended,  a 
party  who  were  opposed  to  the  revival,  and  were  offended 
at  the  loss  of  their  young  companions  who  had  embraced 
religion,  got  up  a  dance.  A  young  man  by  the  name  of 
J.  Fraley  was  the  leader.  The  time  at  length  came,  and 
youth  and  pleasure  met  to  chase  the  hours  with  glowing 
feet.  But  hark !  in  the  midst  of  the  revelry  a  cry ! 
Some  one  has  fallen  in  the  dance,  and  he  cries  aloud, 


324:  SKETCHES    OF 

"God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner!"  It  is  Fraley,  the 
leader.  Consternation  is  spread  over  every  face ;  terror 
fills  every  mind !  Others  join  the  cry,  and  then  and  there 
was  hurrying  in  every  direction  from  the  scene  of  that 
gathered  throng.  Brother  John  Foster,  a  local  preacher, 
was  sent  for,  and  the  sound  of  mirth  and  revelry  gave 
place  to  the  sound  of  prayer,  while  the  loud  laugh  was 
exchanged  to  louder  cries  for  mercy.  Then  began  a  glo- 
rious work  of  God,  and  many  in  that  ball-room  were  con- 
verted, and  filled  with  greater  joy  than  ever  earthly 
pleasure  could  give.  A  joy  and  peace  filled  their  souls, 

"  Which  nothing  earthly  gives,  or  can  destroy ; 
The  soul's  calm  sunshine,  and  the  heart-felt  joy." 

Young  Fraley,  when  converted,  gathered  all  that  would 
go  with  him,  and  marched  round  from  house  to  house, 
singing,  shouting,  and  praying.  We  were  then  on  the 
circuit,  and  witnessed  the  fruits  of  this  glorious  revival. 
We  will  relate  an  incident  connected  with  another 
camp  meeting  which  we  attended,  in  company  with 
brother  Collins.  This  camp  meeting  was  held  the  same 
year  of  the  one  alluded  to  above.  It  was  on  Eagle  creek. 
A  large  concourse  of  people  had  collected  together  from 
all  parts  of  the  country.  The  hour  for  preaching  had 
arrived,  and  after  the  congregation  was  collected  by  the 
blast  of  a  trumpet,  brother  Collins  arose  and  gave  out  a 
hymn.  From  the  manner  of  his  reading  it  all  could  tell 
that  his  heart  was  filled  with  emotions  too  big  for  utter- 
ance. It  was  sung  as  only  the  Methodists  in  early 
times  could  sing  at  camp  meetings.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
eoul  of  the  entire  encampment  was  in  the  sound,  and 
went  up  to  heaven  as  an  offering  of  praise.  When  the 
last  strains  died  away  upon  the  solitudes  of  the  sur- 
rounding forest,  the  man  of  God  fell  upon  his  knees, 
and  poured  out  his  full  heart  to  the  God  of  heaven 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  325 

An  awful  stillness  reigned,  interrupted  only  by  an  occa- 
sional sob  or  a  suppressed  amen.  Presently  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  poured  out,  and  like  a  rushing,  mighty  wind 
it  came  down  upon  the  encampment.  Five  hundred  fell 
prostrate  to  the  ground,  either  screaming  for  mercy  or 
shouting  the  high  praises  of  God.  The  preacher's  voice 
was  lost,  and  God  was  all  in  all. 

There  was  something  in  the  person  of  Collins  that 
would  at  once  impress  any  beholder  with  the  character 
of  the  man.  He  was  above  the  medium  hight — of  slen- 
der form.  His  head  was  somewhat  massy  in  its  propor- 
tions ;  one  would  think  rather  too  much  so  for  his  slender 
frame,  as  it  generally  was  inclined  upon  his  shoulder. 
His  eyes  were  small,  but  keen  and  penetrating,  though 
deeply  sunken  in  his  forehead  beneath  heavy,  overhang- 
ing brows.  His  cast  of  countenance  was  Grecian.  Hid 
motions  were  generally  quick,  but  graceful,  especially  in 
the  pulpit ;  and  to  see  him  walk  along  the  street  with  his 
silver-headed  cane,  which  he  usually  carried  in  his  older 
days,  you  would  at  once  be  impressed  with  the  dignity 
and  refinement  of  his  manners.  It  seemed  that  the  God 
of  nature  and  grace  had  made  him  for  the  great  work  to 
which  he  was  called.  His  voice  was  the  most  musical 
and  penetrating  we  ever  heard,  and,  as  we  have  already 
indicated,  his  manner  was  peculiar  to  himself.  To  thoso 
who  were  familiar  with  him  there  were  certain  move- 
ments about  him  which  would  indicate  the  state  of  his 
mind,  just  as  coming  events  in  nature  cast  their  shadows 
before.  "When  you  would  see  his  lips  compress,  and  he 
would  throw  his  head  aside,  slightly  elevating,  with  a 
sort  of  shrug,  his  right  shoulder,  and  the  tear  would 
Btart  from  his  eye  like  the  rain-drop  which  falls  from 
the  heat  of  the  cloud,  then  you  might  know  that  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  upon  him,  and  might  expect  with 
certainty  to  witness  displays  of  Divine  power. 
28 


326  SKETCHES    OF 

In  the  year  1811  he  was  appointed  to  Union  circuit 
without  a  colleague.  This  circuit  included  the  towns  of 
Dayton,  Xenia,  and  Lebanon.  At  the  latter  place  he 
was  instrumental,  in  the  hands  of  God,  in  accomplishing 
a  great  work.  His  preaching  was  attended  with  the 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  power,  and  a  great  and 
glorious  revival  attended  his  labors,  which  resulted  in 
numerous  and  permanent  accessions  to  our  beloved  Zion. 
It  was  the  same  year  which  we  traveled  Knox  circuit; 
and  well  do  we  recollect  the  cheering  intelligence  which 
came  to  our  ears  of  the  wonderful  work  of  God  in  that 
town.  During  this  revival  John  M'Lean,  Esq.,  now  one 
of  the  Chief  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States,  and  his  brother,  Colonel  M'Lean,  became 
the  subjects  of  converting  grace,  and  joined  the  Church, 
with  many  others,  who  became  distinguished  and  influ- 
ential members  of  the  Church,  some  of  whom  still  live 
as  the  fruits  of  his  ministry.  Great  good  was  effected 
through  his  instrumentality,  also,  in  the  town  of  Xenia  j 
and  in  Dayton,  if  he  did  not  preach  the  first  Methodist 
sermon,  as  in  Cincinnati,  he  formed  the  first  class,  and 
organized  a  society,  which  long  ago  was  divided  into  bands, 
there  being  two  large  and  flourishing  societies,  occupying 
spacious  brick  churches  in  different  parts  of  the  city, 
besides  an  enterprising  German  Methodist  Church.  He 
obtained  a  lot  of  ground  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city 
from  Mr.  Cooper,  the  proprietor  of  the  town,  and,  with 
the  assistance  of  the  sainted  George  Housten  and  others, 
he  built  thereon  a  house  of  worship. 

In  the  year  1812  he  traveled  the  Mad  River  and  Xenia 
circuit.  Being  a  delegate  to  the  General  conference,  on 
his  way  he  passed  through  Fairfield  circuit,  where  we 
then  labored,  and  stopped  over  Sabbath  at  the  house  of 
brother  Thomas  J.  Ijams.  That  was  a  memorable  Sab- 
bath, and  the  scenes  and  associations  connected  with  it 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  327 

will  never  be  erased  from  our  recollection,  as  we  hope 
to  carry  with  us  a  remembrance  of  them,  and  many  other 
happy  scenes  and  seasons  which  we  have  witnessed,  to 
the  heavenly  world.  Such  remembrances  will,  doubtless, 
augment  the  happiness  of  heaven.  It  was  a  day  of 
spiritual  "  feasting,  of  fat  things,  full  of  marrow,  of 
wines  on  the  lees  well  refined."  The  congregation  was 
large,  and  as  the  notice  was  extensively  circulated,  mul- 
titudes came  from  a  distance  to  hear  the  wonderful 
preacher. 

We  don't  know — perhaps  it  was  the  occasion  and  cir- 
cumstances that  made  Methodist  preachers  great  in  those 
days;  but  one  thing  is  certain,  the  arrival  of  Collins 
in  a  neighborhood  would  excite  a  hundred-fold  greater 
interest  then  than  the  arrival  of  any  of  our  presiding 
elders  or  great  men,  or  even  bishops,  can  produce  at  the 
present  day.  Upon  the  ears  of  that  immense  and  deeply- 
interested  congregation  this  flaming  herald  of  the  cross 
poured  the  full  strains  of  the  Gospel,  and  before  he  had 
finished  his  discourse,  his  voice,  clear,  shrill,  and  power- 
ful as  it  was,  was  drowned,  in  the  louder,  clearer,  shriller 
cries  for  mercy,  which  rent  the  heavens,  mingled  with 
the  loftiest  shouts  of  praise. 

No  man  was  ever  more  thoroughly  stored  with  incident 
than  was  brother  Collins.  He  possessed  the  faculty, 
in  an  eminent  degree,  of  weaving  into  his  discourses 
the  cvery-day  incidents  of  life,  and  of  applying  them 
with  the  most  admirable  judgment  to  his  hearers.  He 
was  a  profound  student  of  human  nature ;  and  possessing 
the  keenest  perceptive  faculties,  united  with  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  secret  springs  of  the  human  heart,  he  was 
enabled  to  discriminate  so  nicely  that  every  sinner  felt 
under  his  preaching  as  David  under  the  pointed  personal 
reproof  of  the  prophet  Nathan. 

Some  time  in  the  year  1883,  when  he  was  traveling 


328  SKETCHES    OF 

New  Richmond  circuit,  in  the  bounds  of  which  he 
lived,  he  attended  a  camp  meeting  near  Batavia.  It 
having  fallen  to  our  lot,  on  one  occasion,  to  preach, 
and  there  being  a  large  concourse  on  the  ground,  an 
incident  occurred  which  we  will  relate,  as  it  was  quite 
singular,  and  we  never  heard  of  a  similar  one  before 
nor  since.  The  Lord  assisted  us,  and  we  had  great  lib- 
erty in  striving  to  preach  Christ  and  offer  his  salvation 
to  our  dying  fellow-men.  We  had  progressed  about 
two -thirds  of  the  way  through  the  discourse.  It  was  a 
melting,  moving  time,  a  mighty  troubling  of  the  waters, 
and  the  excitement  seemed  to  be  increasing  every  mo- 
ment. Right  in  the  midst  of  our  appeals  father  Collins 
arose  in  the  stand  behind  us,  and  touching  us  on  the 
shoulder,  he  said,  "  Now,  brother,  stop ;  keep  the  rest  for 
another  time,  and  throw  out  the  Gospel  net;  it  is  now 
wet,  and  we  shall  have  a  good  haul."  We  obeyed  the 
directions,  and  sounded  the  invitation : 

"  Come  all  the  world ;  come  sinner,  thou, 
All  things  in  Christ  are  ready  now." 

Every  sinner  on  the  ground  was  moved;  the  old  and 
hardened  trembled  like  aspen  leaves  stirred  by  the 
breeze;  every  eye  was  suffused  with  tears.  Presently 
there  was  a  move  near  the  outskirts  of  the  congregation. 
There  came  a  mother  leading  a  prodigal  son,  and  falling 
in  on  each  side  of  her  way,  by  the  hundreds,  as  she 
advanced  to  the  altar,  the  multitude  came.  It  was  a 
time  of  unusual  power,  and  the  work  of  God,  from  that 
moment,  went  on  gloriously. 

Two,  years  before  he  closed  his  effective  labors  in  the 
itinerant  field  we  had  the  pleasure  of  being  his  col- 
league in  Cincinnati,  and  to  us  it  was  a  season  of 
great  interest  and  profit.  Here  we  lived  and  labored 
lovingly  together,  threading  the  streets  and  alleys  of 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  329 

this  great  city  in  quest  of  the  flock  of  Jesus,  visiting 
the  sick,  attending  the  dying,  burying  the  dead,  and 
preaching  Jesus  and  the  resurrection.  But  he  is  gone. 
Father  Collins  is  no  more.  -The  toils  and  hardships  of 
an  itinerant  life  are  ended. 

"  He  sleeps  his  last  sleep ;  he  has  fought  his  last  battle, 
And  no  sound  shall  awake  him  to  labor  again." 

28* 


330  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

NATHAN     EMERY. 

WITH  all  the  efforts  we  are  making  to  prevent  it,  how 
rapidly  are  the  precious  memories  of  our  fathers  passing 
away!  Notwithstanding  the  numerous  written  memori- 
als, much  of  what  is  known  of  the  eventful  times  in 
which  they  lived  and  labored,  dwells  but  in  the  recollec- 
tions of  a  few  revered  survivors,  and  with  them  is  fast 
perishing,  unrecorded  and  irretrievable. 

Nathan  Emery  was  born  in  the  town  of  Minot,  Cum- 
berland county,  Maine,  on  the  5th  of  August,  1780.  He 
was  blessed  with  a  pious  mother,  and,  through  her  godly 
admonitions  and  holy  example,  lasting  religious  impres- 
sions were  made  upon  his  young  and  tender  heart.  In 
the  year  1794,  the  region  of  country  where  he  lived  was 
visited  by  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  his  father's  house 
became  a  preaching-place,  a  bethel  in  the  wilderness, 
where  the  man  of  God  lifted  up  his  voice  in  exhortation 
and  prayer.  How  many  will  thank  God  in  the  day  of 
eternity  for  that  system  of  itinerancy  which  sent  the  feet 
of  messengers  of  glad  tidings  over  the  mountains  and 
through  the  vales,  over  the  plains  and  along  the  rivers, 
to  visit  the  destitute  regions  and  offer  the  inhabitants 
the  blessings  of  salvation!  Under  the  ministrations  of 
these  Gospel  heralds,  young  Emery  became  an  early  con- 
vert to  Christ,  and  enrolled  himself  among  the  people 
of  God.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  was  appointed  leader 
of  a  class,  and  in  this  capacity  he  served  the  Church 
with  all  fidelity  till  he  was  called,  in  the  providence  of 
God,  to  a  more  extended  field  of  labor  and  usefulness. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  331 

Early  in  the  year  1799  he  was  licensed  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  and  employed  on  a  circuit  by  the  presiding  elder 
till  the  ensuing  conference,  when  he  was  admitted  on 
trial  in  the  traveling  connection,  and  stationed  on  Read- 
field  circuit.  Among  the  class  of  preachers  admitted  at 
the  same  time,  we  find  the  names  of  Joshua  Soule  and 
James  Quinn,  the  latter  of  whom  is  gone  to  rest;  but 
the  former  still  lives  and  is  the  senior  Bishop  of  tho 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South.  His  next  field  of 
labor  was  Needham.  In  the  year  1801  he  was  appointed 
to  Union  circuit,  in  the  Province  of  Maine  district.  In 
the  following  year  he  was  stationed  on  the  Norridgewock 
circuit ;  and  in  the  year  1803,  at  the  conference  held  in 
the  city  of  Boston,  he  was  ordained  an  elder  and  ap- 
pointed to  the  Middletown  circuit,  where  he  remained 
two  years,  and  formed  an  acquaintance  with  that  estima- 
ble lady  who  afterward  became  his  wife.  The  next  year 
he  was  removed  to  the  New  London  circuit.  During  this 
year  he  was  married  most  happily  to  the  woman  of  his 
choice,  and  never  did  wandering  itinerant  make  a  more 
judicious  selection.  Amiable,  talented,  and  gentle  as  an 
angel  of  light,  did  this  most  estimable  woman  follow  her 
husband  from  field  to  field  of  his  labor;  and  united  in 
work,  as  they  were  one  in  heart,  did  she,  with  gentle 
persuasion,  assist  her  partner  in  leading  souls  to  the 
fountain  of  a  Redeemer's  blood.  She  shunned  no  cross, 
despised  no  shame,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus;  but  side  by 
side  with  he£  husband  did  she  toil  to  cultivate  Imman- 
uel's  land.  For  a  period  of  nearly  forty  years  they 
journeyed  on  together  over  the  rough  and  rugged  path 
of  itinerant  life,  strangers  and  pilgrims,  seeking  the  city 
with  foundations  whose  maker  and  builder  is  God.  How 
many  souls  in  the  morn  of  eternity  will  bless  God  for  the 
soft,  persuasive  eloquence  of  that  mother  in  Israel,  who, 
at  the  altar  of  mercy,  taught  them  to  look  away  to  the 


332  SKETCHES    OF 

Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world! 
How  many  souls  have  been  born  into  the  kingdom  while 
listening  to  her  instructions,  eternity  alone  can  disclose. 
But  a  few  years  before  the  decease  of  father  Emery,  her 
sanctified  spirit,  released  from  earth,  passed  peacefully 
away  to  the  land  of  the  blest. 

"  But  again  we  hope  to  meet  her, 
When  the  day  of  life  is  fled, 
Then  in  heaven  with  joy  to  greet  her, 
Where  no  farewell  tears  are  shed." 

For  a  period  of  more  than  twenty  years  Nathan  Emery 
labored  with  great  acceptability  and  usefulness  in  the 
itinerant  field,  filling  several  of  the  more  important  sta- 
tions in  the  New  England  conference.  Excessive  labors, 
however,  broke  down  his  constitution,  and  he  became  so 
much  enfeebled  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  superan- 
nuate, which  he  did  in  the  year  1821.  Soon  after  he 
removed  to  Ohio,  and  purchased  a  small  farm  at  Blendon. 
The  next  year,  his  health  improving  by  the  health-giving 
and  invigorating  exercise  connected  with  a  farmer's  life, 
and  being  unwilling  to  be  considered  as  a  burden  on  the 
conference,  he  asked  for  and  obtained  a  location.  He 
remained  in  this  relation  to  the  Church  for  a  period  of 
six  years,  during  which  time  his  Sabbaths  were  occupied, 
as  far  as  possible,  in  preaching  at  different  points.  In 
the  year  1828  he  was  employed  by  the  presiding  elder 
of  Lancaster  district,  Kev.  David  Young,  to  travel  the 
Columbus  circuit  as  a  supply,  Samuel  Hamilton  being  his 
colleague.  At  the  expiration  of  this  year,  finding  that 
he  would  be  able  to  do  effective  service  again  in  the  itin- 
erant ranks,  he  was  readmitted  as  a  member  of  the  Ohio 
conference,  and  stationed  at  Zanesville. 

The  appointment  of  father  Emery,  as  he  was  familiarly 
called,  to  Zanesville,  was  at  a  time  when  a  crisis  had 
arrived  in  the  history  of  the  Church  in  that  place  which 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  333 

seemed  for  a  season  almost  to  threaten  its  destruction. 
That  unhappy  strife  denominated  the  "Kadical  contro- 
versy" was  then  at  its  hight.  Many  had  left  the  Church 
under  the  impression  that  the  government  was  an  oligar- 
chy, and  that  the  membership  were  oppressed  with  a  tyr- 
anny from  bishops,  and  elders,  and  preachers  which  they 
were  not  able  to  bear,  and  ought  not  if  they  could; 
through  the  overzealous  labors  of  the  new  party,  by 
means  of  sermons,  papers,  and  tracts,  scattered  broadcast 
over  the  land,  in  which  it  was  asserted  that  the  clergy 
had  taken  away  all  the  rights  of  the  laity,  and  that  they 
were  "  lording  it  over  God's  heritage."  Among  the  num- 
ber of  those  who  left  the  Church  in  this  excitement  were 
several  of  the  more  prominent,  wealthy,  and  influential 
members  of  the  society;  and  when  father  Emery  entered 
upon  his  labors,  every  thing  pertaining  to  the  Church 
wore  a  most  gloomy  aspect.  He  went,  however,  in  the 
spirit  of  his  Master,  and  entered  upon  his  work.  It  was 
not  the  work  of  recrimination,  however,  in  which  he  en- 
gaged. To  all  the  thrusts  and  taunts  of  his  opponents, 
he  made  no  reply,  except  to  turn  his  bland  and  open 
face,  wreathed  with  smiles,  which  indicated  the  forgive- 
ness of  his  benevolent  heart.  He  well  knew  that  fire 
could  fight  fire;  but  in  the  conflict  all  for  which  they 
contended  would  be  consumed;  and,  hence,  he  went 
straightforward,  preaching  the  blessed  Gospel,  and  visit* 
ing  from  house  to  house  and  from  shop  to  shop,  in  the 
streets  and  alleys,  speaking  a  kind  word  to  ail  he  met  on 
the  subject  of  their  soul's  salvation.  The  people  soon 
learned  what  manner  of  spirit  he  possessed,  and  were 
won  by  his  kindness  and  concern  for  their  souls  to  crowd 
to  his  ministry;  and  the  little  old  frame  church,  which 
stood  in  the  rear  of  the  new  brick,  the  foundations  of 
which  he  laid,  and  over  the  elevation  of  the  cap-stone 
of  which  he  shouted,  would  literally  be  packed  with 


334:  SKETCHES    OF 

anxious  hearers.  There,  in  that  old-fashioned  pulpit,  in 
hearing  of  the  murmuring  waters  of  the  Muskingum, 
rolling  over  their  rocky  bed,  where  a  M'Kendree,  an 
Ellis,  a  Burke,  a  Young,  a  Morris,  a  Durbin,  a  Bascom, 
and  a  Christie  have  stood  and  proclaimed  the  messages 
of  mercy  and  salvation,  the  old  man  eloquent,  with  his 
face  bathed  in  tears  or  covered  with  smiles,  rocking  from 
side  to  side,  proclaimed  the  Gospel  of  salvation  and  peace 
"in  strains  as  soft  as  angels  use,"  or  in  thunder-tones 
uttered  the  dread  language  of  Sinai.  It  was  not  long 
till  the  hearts  of  many  were  touched,  and  again  the  altar 
was  crowded  and  souls  converted,  and  the  old  temple  of 
Zion  was  made  to  resound  with  shouts  of  praise.  God 
turned  the  captivity  of  the  Church,  and  harps  that  had 
been  hanging  unstrung  on  the  willows  were  struck  again 
to  loftiest  notes  of  praise.  The  Lord  rendered  to  Zion 
more  than  double  for  all  that  she  had  suffered,  in  grant- 
ing a  most  glorious  revival,  which  swept  over  the  town. 

At  that  meeting  strange  things  came  to  the  ears  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Zanesville.  It  was  rumored  that  two  stu- 
dents from  the  Ohio  University,  one  of  whom  was  a  son. 
of  the  then  Governor  of  Ohio,  had  arrived,  and  would 
preach  in  the  Methodist  Church.  What  was  remarkable 
in  that  day  was,  that  they  were  Methodist  preachers. 
Who  had  heard,  since  the  days  of  Wesley,  of  Methodist 
preachers  coming  out  fresh  from  a  college  to  preach  the 
Gospel  ?  But  it  was  even  so :  brothers  Trimble  and  Herr — 
for  these  were  the  young  men — were  found  in  that  old-fash- 
ioned pulpit,  and  multitudes  who  had  never  darkened  the 
threshold  of  the  old  church  crowded  to  hear  the  stu- 
dents. God  was  with  them,  and  many  heard  from  their 
lips  the  first  Methodist  sermon.  The  revival  spread  with 
power,  and  hundreds  were  awakened  and  happily  con- 
verted to  God.  Good  "old  David"  himself,  with  his 
whitened  locks  and  streaming  eyes,  as  ho  would  gazo 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  335 

upon  the  battle  of  the  Lord  from  his  seat  in  the  altar, 
seemed  to  say,  like  old  Simeon,  "  Now,  Lord,  lettest  thou 
thy  servant  depart  in  peace ;  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy 
salvation."  It  was  a  great  and  glorious  day  for  Method- 
ism in  Zanesville.  From  that  revival  went  out  almost  a 
half  a  score  of  young  men  to  different  and  distant  parts 
of  the  country,  to  preach  Christ  and  him  crucified. 

But  wonders  did  not  stop  here.  It  was  rumored  that 
the  most  eloquent  divine  that  ever  addressed  a  Zanesville 
audience  had  become  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  wa« 
coming  back  from  the  east,  whither  he  had  gone  on  a 
visit,  to  identify  himself  with  Methodism,  in  a  place 
where  before  he  had  wondered  at  the  audacity  of  a 
Methodist  preacher  in  daring  to  ride  along  the  main 
street.  He  came,  and  listening,  wondering  thousands 
hung  upon  his  lips,  if  possible,  with  greater  interest  than 
they  had  done  before.  Under  these  circumstances,  Meth- 
odism in  Zanesville  gained  an  influence  and  standing 
which  it  has  not  lost  to  this  day.  There  are  now,  in  that 
enterprising  city,  two  large  churches,  both  of  which  are 
in  a  prosperous  condition. 

We  must  now  resume   our   narrative.      After   father 
Emery  had  finished  his  two  years  on  the  station,  he  was 
sent  to  Cincinnati,  in  company  with  ourself,  E.  W.  SehdBJI 
and  S.  A.  Latta,  where  he  labored  with  his  accustomlE 
zeal  and  success. 

The  next  year  he  was  continued  in  the  station,  with 
Thomas  A.  Morris,  now  Bishop,  and  William  B.  Christie. 
In  1833  he  was  sent  to  Marietta,  with  W.  Young  as  his 
colleague,  and  the  succeeding  year  to  Chilicothe — in 

1835  to  Worthington,  with  W.  Morrow.     In   the  year 

1836  he  was,  at  the  urgent  solicitation  of  the  Directors 
of  the  Ohio  Penitentiary,  appointed  as  chaplain  to  said 
institution.     In  this  new  field,  all  the  sympathies  of  his 
benevolent  nature  were  taxed  to  their  utmost.     He  was 


335  SKETCHES    OF 

untiring  in  imparting  instruction,  admonition,  and  com- 
fort to  those  who,  by  violation  of  the  laws  of  the  land, 
had  excluded  themselves  from  society.  His  efforts  to 
reform  hardened  criminals  was  not  without  its  effect. 
Many  an  obdurate  heart  was  made  to  feel  the  force  of  a 
kindness  and  sympathy  to  which  for  years  they  had  been 
strangers,  and  many  an  eye,  which  had  been  as  a  sealed 
fountain,  was  made,  like  the  smitten  rock  in  the  desert, 
to  gush  forth  with  penitential  tears.  All  criminals  incar- 
cerated within  the  gloomy  walls  of  a  prison  are  not,  as 
some  would  suppose,  lost  to  hope  and  heaven.  Many 
that  we  ourselves  know  have  been  truly  converted,  and 
have  given  evidence  thereof  in  the  fruits  of  righteous- 
ness, years  after  they  have  served  out  their  time  in  the 
penitentiary.  No  man,  with  a  cold,  unsympathetic  heart, 
should  ever  have  any  control  in  the  instruction  or  gov- 
ernment of  a  prison,  as  the  discipline  there  is  designed 
to  be,  under  the  regulation  of  our  laws,  of  a  reformatory 
character. 

In  the  year  1837  he  was  appointed  to  Delaware  circuit, 
at  the  close  of  which,  from  old  age  and  feebleness,  he 
was  obliged  to  desist  from  labor,  and  take  a  superannu- 
ated relation,  in  which  he  continued  till  the  day  of  his 
death.  On  all  his  fields  of  labor  in  the  Ohio  conference, 
lie  was  in  toils  more  abundant,  ever  active  and  zealous  in 
liis  Master's  service.  No  one  ever  knew  father  Emery 
either  unemployed  or  triflingly  employed.  He  was  fully 
impressed  with  the  idea  that  he  had  one  great  work  to 
perform,  and  he  was  straitened  till  that  work  was  accom- 
plished. His  whole  study  seemed  to  be  to  finish  the 
work  which  had  been  assigned  him,  that  in  the  end  he 
Blight  testify  rejoicingly  the  grace  of  God. 

The  period  at  last  came  which  was  to  terminate  his 
labors  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus.  For  some 
time  before  his  death  he  had  been  in  feeble  and  declining 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  337 

health,  yet  he  still  continued  his  labors  both  on  the  farm 
and  in  the  pulpit  up  to  the  very  close  of  life.  On  Sab- 
bath, May  20,  1849,  he  preached,  and  gave  out  an  ap- 
pointment for  the  succeeding  Sabbath;  but  it  was  his 
last  sermon.  The  following  Tuesday  he  was  suddenly 
and  violently  attacked  with  inflammation  of  the  bowels, 
from  which  he  suffered  most  intensely;  but  he  was  ena- 
bled to  "endure  as  seeing  Him  who  is  invisible."  Sab- 
bath at  length  came,  the  day  on  which  he  had  announced 
to  his  congregation,  Providence  permitting,  he  would 
preach ;  but  instead  of  going  into  the  sanctuary  below  to 
warn  sinners,  and  comfort  mourners,  and  build  up  believ- 
ers, just  about  the  time  he  should  have  ascended  the 
pulpit  he  entered  the  sanctuary  above,  the  building  of 
God,  the  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens,  to  wave  that  palm,  and  sing  that  song,  and  wear 
that  crown  we  have  so  often  heard  him  glowingly  describe 
in  his  happiest  hours. 

He  was  disposed  always  to  look  upon  death  with  some 
degree  of  dread,  and  to  speak  of  the  last  conflict  with 
the  "grim  monster;"  and  as  he  saw  the  hour  of  dissolu- 
tion approaching,  he  nerved  himself  for  the  dying  strife. 
He  sought  earnestly  for  dying  grace,  and  that  grace  in 
rich  abundance  was  given.  He  realized  that  the  God 
of  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob  was  with  him,  and  all 
was  well.  After  taking  leave  of  his  friends,  and  espe- 
cially his  only  daughter,  Mary,  to  whom,  in  the  most 
affectionate  manner,  he  spoke  many  precious  words  of 
comfort  and  consolation,  he  calmly  resigned  himself  to 
die.  Visions  of  glory,  however,  were  reserved  for  this 
dying  herald  of  the  cross,  such  as  he  had  never  witnessed 
before.  As  he  neared  the  Jordan,  and  the  land  of  Beu- 
lah  spread  out  its  bowers  on  either  hand,  like  the  dying 
Payson  he  was  enabled  to  see  the  celestial  city  on  the 
other  shore,  while  he  was  fanned  by  its  breezes,  regaled 

29 


SKETCHES    OF 

by  its  odors,  and  enraptured  by  its  transporting  sounds. 
When  his  pilgrim  feet  touched  the  dark,  cold  waters,  ho 
exclaimed,  "  0,  how  gently  my  Savior  leads  me  through !" 

"  Happy  soul,  thy  days  are  ended — 

All  thy  mourning  days  below; 
Go,  by  angel  guards  attended, 
To  the  sight  of  Jesus,  go !" 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 

THE    CONVERSION    OF    A    FAMILY. 

WHEN  we  were  traveling  Knox  circuit,  at  an  appoint- 
ment called  Bowling-Green  we  were  holding  a  quarterly 
meeting.  After  the  love-feast  exercises  in  the  morning 
were  ended,  and  many  a  soul  had  drank  deeply  from  the 
fountain  of  redeeming  love,  the  doors  were  opened  for 
the  admission  of  the  congregation  to  preaching.  As 
usual,  on  such  occasions,  the  chapel  was  crowded  to  ita 
utmost  capacity.  Many  who  never  think  of  attending 
the  ordinary  appointments  of  circuit  preaching  will  come 
out  on  such  occasions,  and  it  frequently  happens  that  the 
truth  takes  effect  in  hearts  that  were  before  wholly  careless 
and  unconcerned  in  regard  to  their  spiritual  and  eternal 
interests.  It  having  fallen  to  our  lot  to  preach  the  eleven 
o'clock  sermon,  we  took  occasion,  in  the  course  of  our  re- 
marks, to  address  particularly  parents,  and,  after  pressing 
upon  them  with  as  much  earnestness  as  we  were  able,  the 
duties  husbands  owed  to  their  wives,  we  presented,  in  as 
forcible  a  light  as  possible,  the  duties  of  parents  to  their 
children,  but  especially  the  duties  of  the  husband  as  head 
of  the  family.  We  alluded  to  the  fearful  responsibility 
resting  upon  the  husband  and  father,  and  the  guilt  in- 
volved in  the  neglect  of  such  to  look  after  the  salvation 
of  their  families.  In  the  presentation  of  motives  to  con- 
tinued and  unwearied  exertion  in  behalf  of  the  salvation 
of  those  God  had  committed  to  their  care,  we  referred  to 
the  loss  of  such  beloved  ones  to  the  society  of  heaven 
and  the  despair  and  ruin  that  awaited  them  should  they 


34:0  SKETCHES    OF 

die  in  their  sins.  We  endeavored  to  carry  our  audience 
to  the  scenes  of  the  judgment  day,  when  wives  will  rise 
up  against  their  husbands  and  children  against  their  par- 
ents, and  charge  them  with  having  been  instrumental  in 
banishing  them  from  heaven,  and  shutting  them  up  in 
the  gloom  of  hell.  While  we  preached,  the  Spirit  ap- 
plied the  truth  to  many  consciences.  We  noticed  in  the 
congregation  one  man  in  particular,  a  rich  and  influential 
citizen  of  the  neighborhood,  who  grew  pale  and  trembled 
as  we  endeavored  to  pour  the  thunders  of  Sinai  upon  the 
neglecters  of  salvation,  and  also  labored  to  show  the  utter 
impossibility  of  an  escape  from  the  fearful  doom  of  a  vio- 
lated law.  This  man  had  a  large  and  respectable  family, 
and  he  manifested  no  more  concern  for  their  salvation 
than  to  secure  for  them  an  inheritance  and  make  them 
appear  respectable  in  the  world.  No  sum  was  considered 
too  great  to  be  expended  in  fitting  out  his  sons  and 
daughters  for  "  genteel  society,"  and  his  greatest  happi- 
ness seemed  to  consist  in  seeing  them  figure  highest  on 
the  list  of  the  roll  of  fashion  and  folly.  He  seemed  to 
have  entertained  the  idea  held  by  a  certain  gentleman  in 
one  of  our  western  towns,  who  took  his  daughter  to  a 
fashionable  boarding-school  in  the  east,  and  who,  on 
being  asked  by  the  principal  what  he  wished  his  daugh- 
ter taught,  replied,  "  Teach  her  to  shine."  Alas !  that 
so  many,  and  even,  we  fear,  professors  of  religion,  appear 
to  be  governed  by  no  higher  views  in  the  education  of 
their  daughters !  This  worldliness  might  do  among  the 
members  of  a  certain  Church  we  wot  of,  where,  at  a 
Bible  class,  when  the  question  for  the  evening's  investi- 
gation was  introduced,  "  How  shall  we  best  teach  our 
children  reverence  for  God  ?"  one  of  the  gravest  pillars 
thereof  rose  and  said,  "  Reverence  is  politeness ;  and, 
therefore,  if  I  wished  to  teach  my  children  reverence  for 
God  I  would  send  them  to  a  dancing-school."  But  Meth- 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  341 

odists  have  not  learned  in  such  a  school  nor  in  that  other 
"school  of  morals"  denominated  the  theater,  the  prin- 
ciples of  morality  and  the  fear  of  God.  We  must  be 
pardoned  for  dwelling  a  little  here.  As  there  are  many 
professors  who  speak  indulgently,  if  not  encouragingly, 
of  the  opera,  the  theater,  and  the  dancing  saloon,  it  is 
time  that  a  note  of  warning  was  sounded  that  would 
break  like  Heaven's  loudest  thunder  on  the  ears  of  such. 

"  0,  father,"  said  a  blooming  girl  of  some  eighteen 
summers,  gentle  and  lovely  as  a  rose  of  spring,  "what 
harm  can  there  be  in  going  to  the  theater  just  once,  to 
hear  some  of  Shakspeare's  best  pieces  rehearsed  by  star 
performers?  Besides,  haven't  you  got  the  works  of  that 
great  author  in  your  library  ?" 

"I  will  answer  your  question,  my  dear,"  said  the 
father,  who  was  a  minister,  "by  asking  another.  What 
harm  would  there  be  in  letting  this  beautiful  glass  vase 
fall  on  the  stone  hearth  just  once  ?" 

"Ah,  but  the  case  is  not  a  parallel  one,"  said  the 
daughter. 

"Why  not?  If  it  be  true  that,  instead  of  being  a 
'school  of  morals,'  it  is  a  school  of  vice,  and  vice  is  con- 
taminating to  the  soul,  should  it  not  be  avoided?  Can 
one  take  coals  in  his  bosom  and  not  be  burned  ?  Can  one 
walk  amidst  a  shower  of  soot,  such  as  often  falls  in  our 
city,  and  not  have  her  garments  soiled?  Besides,  who 
knows  so  well  the  nature  and  tendencies  of  such  places 
as  those  who  have  been  behind  the  scenes  ?  And  I  tell 
you  the  most  eminent  tragedian  of  the  country  would 
never  let  his  daughters  enter  the  doors  of  a  theater. 
You  know  Emma,  who  joined  the  Church  a  few  Sabbaths 
since?" 

"  Yes,  I  recollect  that  young  lady." 

"  Well,  she  is  one  of  the  daughters  of  that  tragedian, 
and  she  never  was  inside  of  a  theater.     The  very  form 
29* 


342  *          SKETCHES    OF 

in  which  you  have  put  this  question  shows  that  you  are 
convinced  of  the  impropriety  of  visiting  such  places, 
because  you  speak  of  a  single  visit,  and  seem  to  think 
that  no  harm  can  come  of  a  single  visit.  You  well  know 
by  your  education,  and  I  pray  Grod  it  may  never  become 
part  of  your  experience,  that 

'  Vice  is  a  monster  of  such  frightful  mien, 
That  to  be  hated  needs  but  to  be  seen ; 
Yet  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  her  face, 
She's  first  endured,  then  pitied,  then  embraced.' " 

Since  the  above  conversation  the  father  has  heard  no 
more  from  his  daughter  on  the  subject  of  going  to  the 
theater. 

But  where  have  we  wandered  ?  The  gentleman  above 
alluded  to  was  seized  with  strong  convictions.  He  felt 
that  his  whole  life  had  been  wrong,  and  all  his  sins  and 
delinquencies  rose  up  before  him.  What  to  do  he  knew 
not.  On  returning  home  he  was  met  by  his  kind  and 
affectionate  family,  and  some  of  them,  with  a  laughing 
sneer,  asked  about  the  shouting  Methodists,  whose  preach- 
ing and  religious  exercises  frequently  constituted  the 
theme  of  discourse.  The  father  had  but  little  to  say. 
At  length  the  dinner  hour  arrived,  and  the  Sabbath  with 
that  family  was  a  day  of  feasting;  but  the  father,  not- 
withstanding the  many  anxious  entreaties,  was  too  much 
oppressed  and  sick  at  heart  to  eat.  While  the  family  sat 
down  he  went  into  his  parlor.  We  have  already  said  it 
was  an  affectionate  family,  and  the  absence  of  the  parent 
from  the  table  seemed  to  have  deprived  the  whole  of  an 
appetite.  Dinner  was,  therefore,  soon  dispatched,  and 
the  wife  and  mother  was  not  long  in  seeking  the  hus- 
band and  father;  for  she  was  anxious  to  know  what 
trouble  filled  his  mind.  That  which  he  might  keep 
from  the  children  she  knew  he  would  communicate  to 
her.  Scarcely  had  she  entered  the  parlor  where  he  was 


WE8TEEN    METHODISM. 

sitting  till  his  feelings,  no  longer  to  be  repressed,  over- 
came him,  and  he  burst  into  tears,  exclaiming,  in  sobs 
and  broken  accents,  "O,  Mary,  I  have  sinned  against 
God  and  myself,  and  you  and  our  children,  and  I  feel 
that  I  must  change  my  course  of  life,  or  else  we  will 
all  be  lost  together.  You  have  been  my  faithful  and 
devoted  wife  for  twenty-five  years,  and  I  have  never  said 
one  word  to  you  in  all  that  time  about  your  soul,  nor 
have  I  had  any  concern  for  the  salvation  of  our  chil- 
dren. Can  you  forgive  me?  I  have  determined  this 
day  to  seek  religion  and  lead  a  new  life.  Will  you  go 
with  me  in  that  path  of  life  in  which  there  is  no  death 
or  sorrow  ?" 

The  wife  was  deeply  affected,  and,  taking  her  husband 
by  the  hand,  she  said,  ••  My  dear  William,  I  have  been 
praying  in  my  heart  for  years  that  you  would  take  this 
course  of  life.  You  thought,  perhaps,  I  was  altogether 
careless  and  indifferent  on  the  subject  of  religion.  How 
often  have  I  desired  to  talk  with  you  on  the  subject,  but 
my  heart  failed  me !  Yes,  William,  I  give  you  my  heart 
and  my  hand  to  journey  with  you  to  heaven.  O,  bless 
the  Lord  that  I  have  lived  to  see  this  day !" 

"  But,  Mary,  we  must  take  our  children  with  tis.  The 
dear  children  that  God  has  given  to  us  must  not  be  left 
behind." 

"Yes,  William,  it  would  be  a  sad  and  melancholy 
thought  to  leave  them  in  the  broad  road  to  destruction." 
So  saying  she  called  them  into  the  parlor.  Soon  they 
were  all  in  and  seated — two  sons,  men  grown,  and  three 
daughters,  the  youngest  of  which  being  about  eight  years 
of  age. 

The  weeping,  penitent  father  rose  and  addressed  them: 
"My  dear  children,  I  have  sinned  against  God  in  that,  as 
a  father,  I  have  never  said  any  thing  to  you  about  your 
salvation.  You  have  never  seen  or  heard  me  read  a 


344  SKETCHES    OF 

chapter  in  the  Bible,  nor  have  you  ever  heard  a  word  of 
prayer  from  my  lips.  I  have  constantly  set  before  you  a 
bad  example,  and  all  my  influence  has  been  to  lead  you 
astray  from  the  paths  of  religion.  Now,  God  has  smit- 
ten me  with  conviction  for  my  sins,  and  I  stand  before 
him  this  day,  and  before  your  mother,  and  before  you,  a 
guilty,  condemned  sinner,  and  if  God  does  not  forgive 
me  I  must  be  eternally  lost.  O,  my  dear  children,  will 
you  forgive  your  guilty  father?  Your  mother  and  I  have 
entered  into  a  solemn  covenant  with  each  other,  before 
God,  that  we  will  repent  of  our  sins,  and  seek  the  Lord, 
that  we  may  be  saved,  and  we  can  not  enter  into  the 
path  of  life  without  taking  all  our  children  with  us  that 
we  may  make  an  unbroken  family  in  heaven." 

By  this  time  all  the  children,  from  the  oldest  to  the 
youngest,  were  mingling  their  tears  with  those  of  their 
parents.  While  they  were  weeping  the  father  said, 
"Now,  if  you  will  go  along  with  us,  come  and  give  us 
your  hands."  At  this  the  elder  son  arose  and  said,  "  My 
dear  father  and  mother,  if  you  go  to  heaven  we  will  not 
stay  behind."  Walking  forward  he  gave  his  hand  to 
both,  and  was  followed  by  the  rest,  who  came  weeping  as 
if  their  hearts  would  break.  The  youngest,  not  being 
noticed  in  the  midst  of  the  excitement,  which  increased 
every  moment,  came  up  and  said,  "Father,  may  not  I  go 
too  ?"  At  this  the  parents  burst  out  into  a  loud  expres- 
sion of  joy  and  grief,  and  the  father,  taking  his  lovely 
child  into  his  arms,  thanked  God  that  he  had  lived  to 
see  that  day. 

Such  a  Sabbath  evening  was  never  spent  in  that  family 
before.  The  father  and  mother  bowed  with  their  chil- 
dren before  God  in  supplications  for  mercy,  was  a  sight 
which  caused  joy  in  heaven  among  the  angels.  Monday 
morning  came,  and  when  the  hour  arrived  they  all  started 
for  meeting.  Many  were  the  expressions  of  surprise  to 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  345 

Bee  Mr. and  his  family  all  enter  the  little  chapel, 

and  take  their  seats  in  the  congregation,  •which,  on  Mon- 
day morning,  is  mostly  composed  of  members  of  the 
Church,  and  the  immediate  neighborhood.  But  how  was 
their  surprise  hightened  when,  on  invitation  being  given 
for  persons  to  join  the  Church,  the  father,  mother,  and 
all  the  children  went  forward  and  gave  their  bands  to  the 
preacher!  In  the  midst  of  the  wave  of  feeling,  which  at 
this  time  had  risen  high,  the  father  asked  liberty  to  say 
a  few  words,  which  being  granted  he  remarked,  with 
streaming  eyes,  as  follows :  "  My  neighbors  and  friends, 
I  have  a  word  to- say.  I  have  not  only  sinned  against 
God,  my  wife  and  children,  but  I  have  sinned  against 
you.  What  influence  I  have  had  in  this  place  has  not 
been  exerted  for  good,  but  for  evil.  I  have  been  a  man 
of  the  world,  and  sought  only  its  pleasures,  instead  of 
being  religious  and  setting  a  good  example.  For  this  I 
sincerely  ask  pardon  of  God  and  of  you;  and  now,  by 
the  assistance  of  Divine  grace,  me  and  my  house  will 
serve  the  Lord.  I  ask  you  all  to  go  with  us,  that  we  may 
save  ourselves  and  our  families."  At  the  conclusion  of 
this  short  speech  the  mourners  were  invited  to  the  altar, 
and  soon  almost  every  sinner  in  the  house  was  on  his 
knees,  pleading  for  pardon  at  the  mercy-seat.  From  this 
i  moment  a  great  and  glorious  revival  ensued,  and  more  than 
I  eighty  persons  were  happily  converted  to  God.  Reader,  if 
thou  art  a  husband  or  a  father,  and  living  without  God  and 
without  hope  in  the  world,  go  and  do  likewise,  and  thou 
I  shalt  save  thyself  and  family  from  sin  and  hell.  Part  of 
the  converted  family  has  already  passed  over  the  "  King's 
highway/'  and  entered  the  celestial  city,  and  the  remain- 
der, like  Christiana  and  her  children,  are  following  hard 
after.  0,  .the  blessed  ones  that  have  entered  heaven ! 
No  wonder  good  John  Bunyan  said,  when  in  his  dream, 
heaven  opened  its  gates  to  let  in  Christian  and  Faithful, 


346  SKETCHES    OF 

and  the  heavenly  multitude  greeted  their  arrival,  "which 
when  I  saw,  I  wished  myself  among  them." 

"  A  few  more  days  of  sorrow, 

And  the  Lord  will  call  us  home, 
To  walk  the  golden  streets 
Of  the  New  Jerusalem." 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  347 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

JOHN     CRANE. 

THE  subject  of  our  present  narrative  was  born  at 
station,  about  two  miles  below  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee, in  the  year  1787.  Lewis  Crane,  his  father,  was 
among  the  very  first  settlers  in  Cumberland,  and  was  one 
of  those  hardy  pioneers  who  braved  the  dangers  of  the 
wilderness,  constantly  exposed,  with  his  family,  to  savage 
depredations.  At  that  early  day  there  were  but  compar- 
atively few  means  of  grace  enjoyed  by  the  settlers.  No 
sound  of  the  church-going  bell  waked  the  echoes  of  the 
forests  with  its  inviting  tones;  and  it  was  only  occasion- 
ally that  a  Methodist  itinerant,  in  one  of  his  long  and 
weary  circuits  through  the  wilderness,  following  the  emi- 
grant population  as  they  penetrated  the  western  wilds, 
would  lift  up  his  voice  in  the  log-cabins,  or  by  the  camp- 
fires  of  the  almost  homeless  wanderers,  and  proclaim  a 
full  and  free  salvation  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Though 
this  class  of  ministers  was  often  despised  by  black-gowned 
and  white-cravated  clergymen,  with  the  lore  of  a  theolog- 
ical seminary  in  their  brains,  and  the  powder  and  perfume 
of  the  toilet  on  their  hair,  and,  by  way  of  derision,  called 
"circuit  riders,"  or  "swaddlers,"  yet,  had  it  not  been 
for  their  self-sacrificing  devotion,  Christianity  would  not 
have  been  kept  alive  in  these  western  wilds.  Often  have 
these  men  traveled  from  block-house  to  block-house,  from 
station  to  station,  and  from  cabin  to  wigwam,  bearing  the 
messages  of  mercy  to  their  fellow-men,  without  any 
means  of  support  or  any  expectation  of  a  pecuniary 


348  SKETCHES  OP 

reward.  But  the  history  of  one  is,  to  a  greater  or  less 
extent,  the  history  of  all  those  early  pioneers  of  Chris- 
tianity. 

Lewis  was  not  only  the  first  among  the  adventurers  to 
this  western  wilderness,  but  he  was  among  the  first  that 
became  religious  and  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Though  Methodists  at  that  time  were  few  in 
number,  yet  they  lived  to  love  God  and  one  another,  and 
cheerfully  bore  the  cross  of  Him  who  said,  "If  any  man 
will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up 
his  cross,  and  follow  me."  Hence,  we  may  readily  infer 
that  young  John,  though  born  in  a  block-house,  in  the 
most  troublous  times  of  border  warfare,  was  early  taught 
the  fear  of  God.  At  the  early  age  of  six  he  was  brought 
under  religious  influence,  and  impressions  were  made 
upon  his  tender  mind  and  heart  that  marked  his  charac- 
ter forever.  And  here  we  might  remark,  nothing  is  more 
important  than  giving  the  mind  a  proper  training  in  the 
soft  and  flexible  season  of  youth.  The  softest  breath 
of  summer  may  stir  the  stem  of  the  delicate  flower,  while 
the  rudest  blasts  of  winter  may  not  move  the  giant  oak. 
In  very  early  life  the  mind  receives  impressions  that  tell 
upon  its  future  destiny. 

"  A  pebble  in  the  streamlet  scant 

Has  turned  the  course  of  many  a  river ; 
A  dew-drop  on  the  baby  plant 
Has  warped  the  giant  oak  forever." 

The  Prussian  king,  in  urging  reasons  why  the  children 
of  the  realm  should  be  religiously  educated,  said,  "  The 
youthful  mind  receives  impressions  with  the  flexibility 
of  wax,  and  retains  them  with  the  durability  of  bronze." 
Said  another  individual,  "  Scratch  the  rind  of  the  sap- 
ling, and  the  gnarled  oak  will  tell  of  it  for  centuries." 

Whatever  these  pioneer  Christians  learned,  they 
learned  the  importance  of  giving  their  children  a  relig- 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  34:9 

ious  education.  At  the  age  of  twelve  John  was  made  a 
subject  of  converting  grace,  during  the  great  revival 
which  prevailed  in  Cumberland  and  all  over  the  west. 
He  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  remarkable  children 
of  his  age;  and  during  this  early  period  of  his  life  he 
frequently  exhorted  his  friends  and  acquaintances  to  seek 
religion,  with  an  effect  that  gave  evidence  of  his  wonder- 
ful eloquence  and  zeal,  few  being  able  to  resist  the  wis- 
dom and  power  manifested  in  the  preacher-boy.  Many 
of  his  young  associates  were  brought  under  religious  in- 
fluence through  his  instrumentality;  and  had  their  par- 
ents possessed  the  belief  that  young  children  could  love 
and  serve  God,  and  followed  up  the  convictions  received 
by  proper  religious  training,  many  would  have  become, 
like  John,  burning  and  shining  lights.  We  were  well 
acquainted  with  a  traveling  preacher  who  had  a  lovely 
daughter,  seven  years  of  age,  an  only  child,  and  she  had 
been  taught  to  pray  from  her  infancy.  Once  at  a  quar- 
terly meeting,  after  all  the  professors  in  the  house  had 
communed,  this  child,  who  was  sitting  by  her  mother 
weeping,  looked  up  into  her  face  with  streaming  eyes, 
and  said,  "  Mother,  may  I  go  and  remember  my  Savior  at 
the  sacrament?"  The  mother  replied,  "Go,  ask  your 
father,  my  child."  The  father  was  sitting  in  the  altar, 
and  the  little  girl  approached  him  and  said  tremblingly, 
"  Father,  may  a  child  take  the  sacrament  ?"  "  Yes,  my 
dear,"  said  the  father,  unable  to  restrain  his  feelings, 
"  you  may  come ;  for  Jesus  said,  '  Suffer  little  children  to 
come  unto  me,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.' '; 
She  then  went  round  on  the  outside  of  the  railing,  and 
kneeled  down,  sobbing  as  if  her  little  heart  would  break. 
It  was  a  moving  scene,  and  the  congregation  was  melted 
into  tears,  while  some  cried  out  aloud.  The  presiding 
elder,  James  Quinn,  of  blessed  memory,  in  the  full  gush 
of  his  benevolent  heart,  when  he  saw  the  weeping  peni- 

30 


350  SKETCHES    OF 

tent,  immediately  took  the  bread  and  broke  it,  adminis- 
tering to  that  lamb  the  body  of  Jesus.  When  he  came 
with  the  wine  and  said,  "  The  blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  hereby  represented,  preserve  your  soul  and  body 
unto  everlasting  life,"  his  own  feelings,  as  well  as  those 
of  the  audience,  were  intense  and  almost  insupportable. 
He  gave  it  to  the  child,  and  just  as  it  touched  her  lips 
the  Spirit  was  applied, 

"Which  with  the  blood 
Doth  vrash  and  seal  the  sons  of  God," 

and  heaven  sprung  up  in  the  heart  of  that  happy  child. 
She  was  converted,  and  from  that  hour  became  a  con- 
sistent and  devoted  disciple  of  Jesus.  We  knew  her 
well,  and  after  she  had  a  large  family  of  children ;  but 
she  kept  the  faith,  and  brought  them  all  up  in  the  nur- 
ture and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 

If  it  will  not  tire  the  reader,  and  be  considered  too 
great  a  digression  from  the  subject,  we  will  relate  another 
incident  illustrative  of  youthful  piety,  and  tending  to 
show  the  negligence  of  Christians  in  regard  to  children. 
At  a  camp  meeting  held  on  C.  S.  camp-ground,  the  ven- 
erable Bishop  M'Kendree  was  present  and  preached  to 
the  children  and  young  people.  On  this  occasion  the 
Bishop  noticed  a  little  boy  who  was  much  affected. 
Being  intimately  acquainted  with  the  family,  and  know- 
ing the  child  well,  he  invited  him  into  his  tent,  and  con- 
versed and  prayed  with  him,  laying  his  hand  upon  his 
little  head  and  commending  him  to  God.  That  afternoon 
the  doors  of  the  Church  were  opened,  and  this  boy  went 
forward  and  presented  himself  as  a  probationer.  He  was 
received,  and  continued  to  attend  regularly  to  his  relig- 
ious duties,  never  absenting  himself  from  prayer  meet- 
ing, or  class  meeting,  or  preaching  when  he  could  attend. 
H«  was  but  a  mere  child,  and  as  he  would  sit  in  class,  no 
one,  either  leader  or  preacher,  would  speak  to  him  or  pay 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  351 

him  any  attention.  At  this  his  yonng  heart  was  ranch 
aggrieved,  and  he  was  sometimes  tempted  to  go  no  more; 
but  he  concluded  to  hold  on  till  his  grandfather,  who 
was  a  traveling  preacher,  would  visit  them,  and  he  would 
speak  to  him  on  the  subject.  At  length  the  grandfather 
came,  and  when  he  was  sitting  alone,  one  day,  he  came 
to  him,  and  said, 

"  Grandfather,  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question." 

"Well,  my  child,"  said  the  old  man,  "what  is  your 
wish?" 

"Well,  it  is  this,"  said  he;  "do  you  think  I  am  too 
young  to  serve  God  and  belong  to  the  Church?" 

"No,  not  at  all,  my  child,"  said  the  venerable  saint, 
with  emotion.  "Your  mother  embraced  religion  when 
she  was  only  seven  years  of  age,  and  we  have  many  ex- 
amples in  the  Bible  where  children  became  religious  in 
the  dawn  of  life,  such  as  Samuel,  and  Josiah,  and  Tim- 
othy; and  the  Scriptures  say,  'Out  of  the  months  of 
babes  and  sucklings  God  has  perfected  praise.'  But  why 
did  you  ask  this  question  ?" 

"At  camp  meeting,"  said  the  child,  "when  Bishop 
M'Kendree  preached  to  us  children,  I  resolved  I  would 
be  a  Christian,  and  when  brother  C.  opened  the  doors 
of  the  Church,  I  went  forward  and  joined.  I  have  been 
to  meeting  every  time  since,  and  staid  in  class ;  but  no 
person  says  a  word  to  me  about  religion,  and  I  thought 
they  considered  me  too  young  to  be  noticed." 

"Well,"  said  the  grandfather,  "I  will  go  with  you  to 
meeting  next  Sunday,  and  if  the  preacher  does  not  speak 
to  you  when  he  meets  the  class,  do  you  rise  up  and  ask 
him  the  reason.  Do  you  understand?" 

"  Yes,  grandfather,  I  will." 

The  day  came,  and  the  grandfather  and  child  were  at 
meeting.  When  the  congregation  was  dismissed,  the 
preacher  commenced  leading  his  class,  and  all  were 


352  SKETCHES   OP 

spoken  to  as  usual  but  the  little  boy.  He  made  an  effort 
to  rise,  but  his  heart  failed  him.  The  grandfather, 
seeing  this,  said,  "  Brother  L.,  little  J.  has  a  question  to 
ask  you?"  The  child  then  rose,  and,  in  a  simple  man- 
ner, gave  his  experience,  not  forgetting  to  allude  to  his 
not  having  been  spoken  to.  At  this  the  preacher 
blushed,  and  the  class-leader  wept,  one  after  the  other 
confessing  their  delinquency  and  promising  to  do  better 
for  the  future.  That  child  has  grown  to  manhood,  and 
has  a  family,  and  has  been  a  useful  and  highly-acceptable 
member  of  the  Church.  God  forbid  that  we  should 
despise  one  of  these  little  ones  that  believes  in  Jesus ! 

But  we  must  resume  our  narrative.  The  astonishing 
progress  made  by  young  Crane  in  gifts,  grace,  and  use- 
fulness, was  such  as  to  indicate  to  the  Church  most 
clearly  that  he  was  called  of  God  to  preach  the  Gospel  j  ; 
and,  accordingly,  he  was  recommended  as  a  suitable  per- 
son to  be  received  on  trial  in  the  traveling  connection;  I 
His  bones  had  not  yet  hardened  into  manhood,  and  his 
youthful  appearance,  and  slender,  delicate  frame  seemed 
to  forbid  the  hope  that  he  would  be  able  to  breast  the 
storms  and  encounter  the  toils  and  hardships  of  an  itin- 
erant life.  Nature  and  grace  alike  had  fitted  him  for  the 
work;  and,  though  young,  it  was  evidently  the  design  of 
Providence  that  he  should  enter  the  field  of  his  Lord  and 
engage  in  gathering  the  harvest  of  souls.  He  was  re- 
ceived at  the  Western  conference,  held  at  Nolichuckie, 
in  Tennessee,  in  1807,  and  sent  to  the  Holston  circuit, 
which  he  traveled  six  months  with  great  acceptability  and 
usefulness  among  the  people.  The  remaining  six  months 
were  spent  on  the  French  Broad  circuit.  His  extreme 
youth  as  a  preacher,  his  zeal  and  piety,  together  with  his 
remarkable  native  eloquence,  called  large  crowds  to  hear 
him  wherever  he  went,  and  God  owned  his  labors  in 
bringing,  through  his  instrumentality,  many  a  wayward 


WESTEKN    MKTHODI8M.  353 

sinner,  both  old  and  young,  from  their  wanderings  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth  and  the  salvation  of  God. 

In  1808  he  was  removed  from  French  Broad,  and  sent 
to  tho  Deer  Creek  circuit,  in  Ohio,  the  colleague  of  that 
eminent  man  of  God,  Benjamin  Lakin.  On  this  circuit 
he  had  great  influence,  and  the  melting,  moving  strains 
of  the  youthful  herald  found  way  to  thousands  of  hearts. 
Notwithstanding  his  great  success,  he  had  to  encounter 
many  fierce  and  fiery  trials ;  but  out  of  all  the  Lord  de- 
livered him  and  made  him  shine  with  greater  brightness. 
At  the  ensuing  conference  at  Liberty  Hill,  he  was  admit- 
ted into  full  connection  and  ordained  to  the  office  of  a 
deacon.  Having  thus  taken  upon  himself  more  fully  the 
vows  of  God,  and  having  consecrated  himself  more  unre- 
servedly to  the  service  of  his  Master,  he  was  ready  for 
any  field,  however  rugged,  or  any  work,  however  toilsome. 
The  wants  of  the  great  west  were  before  him,  and  giving 
himself  up  into  the  hands  of  the  appointing  power,  he 
was  sent  to  the  distant  Mississippi.  For  a  youth  of  his 
age,  having  just  passed  his  minority,  it  must  have  been 
a  bold  and  daring  undertaking.  It  was  a  long  and  weary 
journey  through  a  wilderness,  and,  when  reached,  the 
population  was  sparse,  and  that  mostly  Roman  Catholic, 
whose  first  principles  of  indoctrination  are  to  hate  Prot- 
estants. Surely,  nothing  but  an  intense  love  for  lost  sin- 
ners and  an  unshaken  confidence  in  the  promise  of  the 
Savior,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the 
world,"  could  have  urged  him  on  in  this  missionary  work. 
He  went;  and  the  God  of  Jacob,  who  sustained  and  com- 
forted him  as  he  lay  upon  his  rock  pillow,  was  with  this 
young  soldier  of  the  cross.  He  went  as  an  evangelist, 
and  was-  successful  in  the  work  of  planting  Churches  in 
the  wilderness,  dedicated  to  a  pure  Christianity.  Neither 
swamps,  nor  forests  dense  and  drear,  nor  broad  rivers, 
could  shake  him  from  his  purpose  or  impede  his  way. 

30*      A 


354  SKETCHES    OF 

Onward,  over  craggy  steeps,  and  through  dells  and  dark 
morasses,  he  urged  his  course,  and  wherever  he  could 
track  the  foot  of  man  he  pursued,  to  bear  to  him  the 
messages  of  mercy  and  salvation. 

But  his  tour  of  hardship,  which  he  had  already  borne 
as  a  good  soldier,  was  not  yet  ended.  He  served  so  well 
and  so  bravely  in  this  frontier  field,  on  the  outposts  of 
civilization,  that,  at  the  conference  in  1811,  he  was  sent 
to  Cold  Water  and  Missouri  united.  In  giving  him  this 
appointment,  it  seemed  like  putting  him  in  charge  of 
the  whole  far-western  world.  The  circuit  included  both 
sides  of  the  Missouri  river,  and  often  was  he  obliged  to 
swim  his  horse  across  the  great  "father  of  waters."  Noth- 
ing, however,  stopped  this  bearer  of  heavenly  dispatches. 
He  was  charged  with  a  high  trust  from  the  court  of 
heaven,  and  God  had  given  him  passports,  which  secured 
his  right  of  way  over  the  whole  continent,  and  to  every 
log-cabin  and  frontier  wigwam  he  bore  the  messages  of 
Heaven.  Multitudes  believed  his  report,  and  to  them 
the  arm  of  the  Lord  was  revealed  in  mercy  to  save,  and, 
doubtless,  while  we  write,  many  of  those  redeemed 
through  his  instrumentality  are  rejoicing  and  praising 
God  in  the  upper  sanctuary. 

In  the  year  1812  he  was  appointed  to  the  Duck  River 
circuit.  While  here,  large  numbers  flocked  from  all 
parts  of  the  country  to  hear  the  words  of  life.  It  was 
the  year  of  the  memorable  earthquake,  which  shook  so 
terribly  the  southern  country.  Thousands,  by  day  and 
by  night,  flocked  to  hear  the  Gospel  from  the  lips  of  this 
sainted  youth;  and  such  was  his  zeal  and  fervor,  con- 
joined with  the  burning  desire  that 

"  All  the  world  might  taste  and  see 
The  riches  of  God's  grace," 

lie  literally,  like  a  lambent  flame,  burned  out  in  the  serv- 
ice of  his  Master.  Wearied  out  with  ceaseless  labors  by 


WESTEBN    METHODISM.  355 

night  and  by  day,  and  subjected  to  frequent  exposures  in 
traveling  from  one  distant  appointment  to  another,  he 
was  attacked  with  inflammation  of  the  lungs.  When  his 
disease  assumed  such  a  form  as  to  disqualify  him  from 
preaching,  ho  was  at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Mitchell,  where 
all  the  attention  that  could  be  shown  him  was  paid  by 
stranger  hands.  But  all  efforts  were  unavailing,  and  he 
rapidly  declined,  till  it  was  evident  to  all  that  death  was 
near,  and  he  would  never  preach  again.  On  one  occa- 
sion his  symptoms  were  of  such  a  nature  as  to  induce 
those  who  were  present  to  believe  that  he  was  dying,  and 
it  seemed,  after  a  short  struggle,  that  his  breath  had 
ceased,  and  he  was  gone ;  but  in  a  short  time  he  revived 
again,  and  said  to  his  friends,  "  What  hath  brought  me 
back  to  earth  again  ?  I  have  been  on  the  very  suburbs 
of  heaven  and  glory."  It  seemed  as  if  his  spirit  had  been 
trying  its  wings  for  the  mystic  but  glorious  flight,  and 
had  returned  for  some  purpose.  Shortly  after  this  brief 
trance  his  father  came,  and,  embracing  him  in  his  arms, 
he  said,  "0  father,  I  love  you;  but  I  have  a  Father  in 
heaven  whom  I  love  more,  and  I  shall  soon  be  with  him 
in  glory.  My  body  will  soon  be  consigned  to  the  grave; 
but  my  soul  will  put  on  immortality  and  eternal  life." 
His  countenance,  always  winning  and  attractive,  now 
beamed  with  an  unearthly  brightness,  and,  like  the  glo- 
ries of  the  setting  sun,  throwing  back,  on  its  departure, 
the  radiance  of  the  better  land  on  which  it  is  rising,  so 
his  spirit  seemed  to  reflect  the  radiance  of  heaven.  His 
work  was  done  for  earth,  his  commission  had  expired, 
and  death  was  waiting  to  sound  his  release.  With  a 
smile  upon  his  lips,  he  bade  his  father  and  friends  a  last 
adieu,  and  soared  to  companionship  with  angels  and  God. 
Thus  fell  the  youthful  herald  of  the  cross,  at  his  post,  in 
the  distant  wilds  of  Missouri. 


356  SKETCHES   OF 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

WILLIAM     YOUNG. 

THE  subject  of  our  present  narrative  was  the  brother 
of  the  Rev.  David  Young,  a  short  sketch  of  whose  life 
the  reader  may  find  in  the  "  Autobiography."  William 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  in  Washington  county, 
on  the  16th  day  of  May,  1786.  In  the  year  1805,  when 
he  was  in  the  nineteenth  year  of  his  age,  he  was  awak- 
ened to  a  sense  of  his  lost  condition,  convinced  of  tho 
need  of  a  Savior,  and,  through  the  instrumentality  of 
Methodist  preaching,  he  was  happily  converted  to  God. 
Two  years  after  this  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  exhort  sin- 
ners to  repentance,  and  entered  upon  that  work  with  zeal 
and  fidelity.  Such  were  his  gifts,  grace,  and  usefulness 
in  this  vocation,  that  he  was  adjudged  by  the  Church  as 
called  of  God  to  the  higher  office  of  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel, and,  accordingly,  in  1808,  he  was  licensed  to  preach. 
In  due  time  he  was  recommended  to  the  annual  confer- 
ence as  a  proper  person  to  be  received  on  trial  into  the 
traveling  connection.  He  was  received  at  the  conference 
held  at  Liberty  Hill,  October  7th,  and  was  appointed  to 
travel  Mad  River  circuit.  In  the  year  1810  he  was  sent 
to  the  Tennessee  Valley,  where  his  labors  were  arduous 
and  somewhat  successful. 

To  show  the  wide  extent  of  country  over  which  the 
oarly  preachers  traveled — we  do  not  allude  to  the  first 
missionaries,  such  as  Burke  and  Kobler,  and  others,  but 
those  who  were  regular  circuit  preachers — all  that  is 
necessary  is  to  follow  a  sketch  of  their  travels.  The 


WESTERN  METHODISM.  357 

next  year — 1811 — wo  find  our  brother  sent  back  to  Ohio, 
and  appointed  to  the  Cincinnati  circuit.  At  that  time 
this  was  a  large  circuit,  and  many  of  the  appointments 
were  difficult  to  reach.  Presiding  elders  then  had  whole 
states  in  their  districts;  and  at  an  earlier  day  several 
states  and  their  contiguous  territories  were  included  in 
their  field.  There  were  then  no  public  conveyances;  but 
from  month  to  month,  and  year  to  year,  elders,  bishops, 
and  preachers  pressed  the  saddle  almost  every  day.  Now 
one  western  state  suffices  to  make  two  whole  conferences 
and  parts  of  three  others,  while  a  single  circuit  of  olden 
time  now  makes  several  districts,  and  a  presiding  elder 
can  reach  nearly  all  his  appointments  in  a  railroad  car, 
sitting  on  a  velvet  seat;  and  the  idea  of  a  bishop  on 
horseback  is  as  novel  as  it  would  have  been  to  have  seen 
one  in  a  coach  in  the  days  of  Asbury. 

The  person  of  brother  Young  was  rather  robust  than 
otherwise,  and  he  possessed  a  strong  constitution ;  but  so 
severely  were  his  physical  powers  taxed  in  frequent, 
laborious,  vehement  pulpit  exercises,  that  they  at  length 
gave  way  in  sonic  degree.  He  would  preach  till  he  was 
frequently  exhausted,  carried  on  by  a  zeal  which  knew 
no  flagging.  Every  circuit  that  he  traveled  was  blest 
with  a  revival  of  religion.  His  whole  soul  was  enlisted 
to  the  utmost  of  its  powers  in  laboring  to  save  his  fellow- 
men.  In  visiting  from  house  to  house,  and  pouring  out 
his  prayers  and  tears  in  personal  effort  for  the  conversion 
of  all  within  reach  of  his  ministrations,  added  to  his 
regular  circuit  labors,  he  was  a  model  of  a  hard- 
working preacher  and  pastor,  worthy  the  imitation  of 
some  in  the  itinerant  ranks  at  the  present  day.  Though 
not  a  very  pleasant  speaker,  or  agreeable  in  his  manners 
in  the  pulpit,  he  was,  nevertheless,  a  burning  and  a  shin- 
ing light.  He  possessed  a  genial  spirit;  and  such  was 
his  urbanity  in  conversation  and  the  social  circle,  that 


358  SKETCHES    OF 

all  who  knew  him,  whether  saint  or  sinner,  held  him  in 
the  highest  esteem,  and  courted  rather  than  shunned  his 
society. 

In  the  month  of  December,  on  an  extremely  cold  day, 
this  devoted  minister  started  out  from  Cincinnati  to  visit 
his  appointment  at  North  Bend.  The  wind  blew  from 
the  river,  in  fierce  and  piercing  blasts,  directly  in  the 
face  of  the  itinerant  all  the  way.  From  this  exposure 
he  took  a  violent  cold,  which  settled  upon  his  previously- 
injured  lungs,  producing  a  hectic  fever,  which  resulted 
in  a  settled  consumption.  He  was  now  confined  to  his 
room,  and  no  longer  permitted  to  engage  in  his  much- 
loved  employ.  While  disease  was  consuming  his  system, 
his  soul  burned  with  the  all-consuming  fire  of  a  zeal  for  God 
and  his  cause,  which  made  it  difficult  for  him  to  exercise 
patience  enough  to  keep  from  going  out  and  warning 
sinners  to  repent.  Sometimes  he  would  be  greatly  de- 
jected in  mind,  and  the  adversary  would  assail  him  with 
temptations ;  but  the  trial  of  his  faith,  being  more  pre- 
cious than  gold,  he  was  enabled  to  realize  would  work  out 
for  him,  if  faithful  to  the  end,  a  far  more  exceeding  and 
eternal  weight  of  glory.  He  often  expressed  fears  that 
he  lacked  that  degree  of  patience  and  resignation  to  the 
will  of  God  which  it  was  his  privilege  to  possess.  He 
sometimes  lamented  the  absence  of  that  full,  overpower- 
ing love  of  God  which  he  had  experienced  when  in  full 
health  and  vigor  j  but  he  knew  not  that  his  weak,  ema- 
ciated frame  would  have  sunk  under  such  a  load  of  glory. 
Prayer  was  his  constant  exercise,  and  sometimes  it  would 
burst  out  in  praise  to  God  and  the  Lamb.  So  anxious 
was  he  to  be  in  the  field  doing  battle  for  the  Lord, 
that  on  one  occasion,  in  opposition  to  the  advice  of  his 
physician  and  the  entreaties  of  his  friends,  but  three 
days  before  his  death,  he  rode  out  to  a  camp-ground, 
where  the  people  were  adjusting  their  tents,  and  waited 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  359 

for  the  services  to  begin.  He  took  his  position  in  the 
preachers'  stand,  looked  round  npon  the  tents  of  Israel, 
and  gazing  upon  the  people,  he  burst  into  tears,  saying, 
"  0,  my  brethren,  I  am  done  with  these  things  now.  I 
shall  be  at  camp  meeting  no  more,  but  we'll  meet  in 
heaven."  He  returned  home,  and  before  that  camp 
meeting  closed  he  left  the  world  in  the  triumphs  of  faith, 
and  ascended  to  mansions  on  high.  "  For  him  to  live 
was  Christ,  but  to  die  was  gain." 

How  often  is  the  Church  called  to  mourn  the  loss  of 
the  most  useful  and  talented  young  ministers !  A  heathen 
poet  has  said,  "Whom  the  gods  love  die  early."  The 
Bible  tells  us,  "Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the 
death  of  his  saints;"  and  hence  we  infer  it  is  more 
blessed  to  die  than  to  live,  if  we  are  the  beloved  of  the 
Lord.  A  Summerfield,  a  Cookman,  a  Blackman,  and 
others,  have  been  called  away  early,  even  before  they 
reached  life's  prime;  and  as  in  nature  the  brightest 
flowers  soonest  fade,  so  in  the  Church  the  loveliest  types 
of  Christian  character  are  soonest  taken  away  to  that 
world  where  flowers  never  wither,  and  where  loved  ones 
always  stay.  The  providence  may  be  mysterious  which 
removes  these  lights  from  the  Church  below;  but  as 
with  individuals,  so  with  the  Church — all  things,  we  are 
assured,  shall  work  together  for  her  good;  and  though 
God  removes  the  most  useful  and  skillful  laborers,  yet 
the  work  goes  on. 

We  had  but  a  partial  acquaintance  with  brother  Young, 
yet  his  praise  was  in  all  the  Churches  where  he  labored, 
and  he  has  left  a  name  better  than  precious  ointment,  or 
all  the  fragrance  of  Yemen  and  Guhl. 


SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE    CONVERSION    OF    AN    INFIDEL. 

WHEN  we  were  traveling  the  Cross  Creek  circuit,  in 
the  year  1814,  one  of  the  most  wonderful  manifestations 
of  divine  grace,  in  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  an 
infidel,  occurred  that  we  were  ever  permitted  to  witness 
during  our  whole  itinerant  career.  There  lived  in  the 
bounds  of  the  circuit,  not  far  from  Steubenville,  an  infidel 
of  wealth  and  distinction.  He  belonged  to  the  French 
school  of  infidelity,  which,  in  the  Reign  of  Terror  in 
France,  had,  in  consequence  of  its  disgust  at  the  crimes 
and  corruptions,  and  mummeries  of  Romanism,  renounced 
all  religion,  vetoing  Christianity,  deifying  reason,  and 
writing  over  the  cemeteries,  "Death  an  eternal  sleep." 
He  was  a  devoted  student  of  Voltaire,  and  Rosseau,  and 
D'Alembert,  and  being  educated  and  talented  but  few 
were  able  or  felt  disposed  to  meet  him  in  argument  on 
the  subject  of  religion.  Indeed,  he  was  a  terror  to  all 
Christians  in  the  neighborhood,  and  he  never  lost  an 
opportunity  to  instill  his  infidel  principles  into  the  minds 
of  all  who  would  listen  to  his  deceptive  and  dangerous 
philosophy — falsely  so  called.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
influence  in  the  county,  and  all  that  influence  was  thrown 
into  the  scale  of  infidelity.  His  principles  were  not  only 
destructive  of  the  general  morals  of  the  community,  but 
were  insidiously  working  their  way  into  the  impressible 
minds  of  the  young  and  rising  generation,  poisoning 
them  with  infidelity.  When  he  met  with  one  equally 
well  skilled  in  argument,  and  capable  of  showing  the 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  361 

sophistry  of  his  reasoning,  and  of  tearing  off  the  vail 
from  the  hideous  form  of  the  monster  infidelity,  he  never 
would  fail  to  fly  to  that  last  resort  of  infidels  as  their  test 
of  truth,  ridicule,  well  knowing  how  potent  such  a  weapon 
is  in  skillful  hands.  Where  few  can  reason  all  can  laugh, 
and  as  the  depraved  human  heart  is  always  on  the  infidel's 
side,  often  has  the  multitude,  which  usually  collected  in 
those  days  around  disputants,  been  excited  to  laughter  at 
the  sallies  of  wit  and  ridicule  the  infidel  would  bring  to 
bear  upon  his  antagonist. 

Where  the  majority  were  irreligious  it  was  easy  to  see 
how  fearful  would  be  the  odds  against  the  Christian, 
though  armed  with  the  panoply  of  truth.  What  men 
wish  to  be  true  they  require  but  little  evidence  to  con- 
vince them  of  its  truth ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  what 
they  do  not  wish  to  be  true  no  amount  of  evidence  is 
sufficient  to  convince  them  of  its  falsehood.  The  sinner 
would  gladly  believe,  though  there  is  a  God,  that  the  ter- 
rible denunciations  which  he  has  made  against  sin  are 
the  mere  product  of  priestcraft,  gotten  up  to  frighten 
people  into  a  belief  of  Christianity,  and  any  denial  of 
that  fact,  supported  by  the  merest  semblance  of  an  argu- 
ment, would  be  seized  with  the  greatest  avidity,  even  as 
a  drowning  man  would  catch  at  a  straw.  As  an  illustra- 
tion of  this,  we  once  heard  a  public  speaker,  in  a  court- 
house, haranguing  a  large  crowd  on  the  subject  of  relig- 
ion. He  had  much  to  say  about  the  priestcraft  of  ortho- 
dox preachers,  and  labored  hard,  and,  as  he  thought, 
successfully,  to  prove  that  there  was  no  hell;  that  it  was 
all  a  mere  bugbear  to  frighten  the  weak  and  credulous. 
One  of  his  audience,  a  wealthy  planter,  on  a  visit  from 
the  far  south,  seemed  to  be  in  ecstasies  at  the  preaching, 
and  could  scarcely  restrain  himself  from  shouting  aloud 
his  approbation.  Good  news  from  a  far  country,  or  cold 
water  to  a  thirsty  soul,  could  not  have  been  more  refreshing 
31 


362  SKETCHES    OF 

to  the  southerner  than  the  glad  tidings  of  this  discourse. 
At  length  the  speaker  closed,  and  came  down  from  the 
judge's  bench,  where  he  had  been  standing.  The  crowd 
gathered  around  him,  but  none  were  so  eager  to  grasp  his 
hand  as  the  planter.  "  God  bless  your  dear  soul,"  said 
he,  "I  thank  you  a  thousand  times  for  that  sermon.  It's 
all  true,  every  word  of  it,  and  commends  itself  to  the 
reason  of  man."  But,  as  he  was  turning  to  go  away,  a 
new  thought  seemed  to  strike  him,  and  returning  to  the 
preacher,  he  said,  "  Your  sermon  is  true — true,  no  doubt 
of  it  in  the  least,  sir;  but,  by  hell,  I'll  give  you  a  hogs- 
head of  tobacco  if  you  will  insure  it."  There  is  the 
difficulty.  Infidels  fear  that  religion  is  true.  With  the 
best  of  them,  in  their  brightest,  happiest  hours,  there  is 
"a  fearful  looking-for  of  judgment." 

But  we  must  resume  our  narrative.  This  infidel  would 
not  attend  any  religious  meetings,  and  paid  a  total  disre- 
gard to  all  the  institutions  of  religion.  Strange  as  it 
may  seem,  with  all  his  avowed  infidelity  and  unblushing 
opposition  to  religion,  he  was  chosen  to  represent  the 
county  in  the  Legislature  of  the  state.  God  save  us 
when  our  liberties  and  rights  are  intrusted  to  the  hands 
of  those  who  neither  fear  God  nor  regard  man ;  for, 
though  we  could  not  make  religion  a  test  of  qualification 
nor  require  a  profession  thereof  as  indispensable  to  a  legis- 
lator, we  would,  nevertheless,  require  in  the  candidate  for 
public  favor,  a  decent  respect  for  the  opinions  and  rights 
of  others.  If  it  may  be  argued  that  men  of  infidel  sen- 
timents have  been  good  statesmen  and  patriots,  and  have 
served  their  country  with  fidelity,  we  reply,  their  states- 
manship and  patriotism  were  not  the  result  of  their  infi- 
delity, but  they  existed  in  spite  of  it. 

The  family  of  the  subject  of  our  narrative  consisted 
of  a  wife  and  one  child — a  lovely  daughter,  beautiful  and 
accomplished,  having  received  what  is  termed  a  polite 


WEBTEKN    METHODISM.  363 

and  fashionable  education.  The  mother  was  alike  infidel 
in  sentiment  with  the  father,  and,  of  course,  as  it  was 
with  the  father  and  mother,  so  it  was  with  the  daughter. 
Her  youthful  mind  was  made  to  take  into  its  first  impres- 
sions the  blank  and  cheerless  doctrines  of  infidelity. 
One  has  said,  "  Of  all  the  melancholy  sights  that  meet 
the  gaze  of  mortals,  nothing  is  half  so  drear  and  desolate 
as  that  of  an  infidel  mother.  For  her  there  is  no  God 
and  Savior;  no  bright  and  cheering  hopes  of  immortality 
and  eternal  life  beyond  the  grave.  Home,  with  its  en- 
dearments and  angel  faces,  was  designed  to  remind  ue 
constantly  of  the  family  of  God  in  heaven;  but  where 
the  cold  night  of  infidelity  reigns,  and  no  voices  of 
prayer  and  praise  are  heard,  life  is  a  dull,  leaden  dream, 
and  death  an  eternal  sleep."  This  lovely  girl,  notwith- 
standing the  cold  and  dreary  sphere  in  which  she  had 
taken  her  existence  and  moved,  was,  nevertheless,  of  an 
amiable  disposition.  She  was  the  infidel's  daughter,  and 
the  child  of  a  prayerless  mother;  but  yet  she  possessed 
a  genial  mind  and  a  trusting  heart.  We  have  heard  it 
said  of  some,  "they  are  naturally  religious,"  and  if  it 
were  possible  for  any  to  have  a  native  religious  character 
euch  might  be  ascribed  to  her.  But,  like  the  young  ruler 
whom  Jesus  loved  for  his  amiability  of  disposition  and 
morality  of  conduct,  she  lacked  one  thing,  and  that  was 
the  regenerating  grace  of  God,  without  which  all  natural 
graces  will  prove  unavailing  as  requisites  for  heaven. 

Not  a  very  great  distance  from  her  father's  residence 
there  was  a  preaching-place,  where  the  Methodist  itiner- 
ants held  meeting  regularly  every  two  weeks.  A  special 
meeting  had  been  appointed  to  continue  several  days, 
and  as  the  father  was  absent  at  the  Legislature,  she  went 
to  the  meeting  without  the  knowledge  of  her  mother. 
Dressed,  as  she  was,  in  fashionable  style,  when  she 
entered  the  rude  cabin,  and  took  her  seat  among  the 


»364:  SKETCHES    OF 

old-fashioned  Methodists,  she  became  an  object  of  gen- 
eral attention,  quite  as  much  so  as  an  old-fashioned 
Methodist  now  would  be  if  she  were  to  come  into  one  of 
our  fashionable  congregations  with  her  plain  gown  and 
Quaker  bonnet.  But  she  did  not  come  out  of  mere  idle 
curiosity ;  she  was  strangely  drawn  to  the  house  of  wor- 
ship, and  there  was  a  power  at  work,  in  regard  to  the 
nature  of  which  she  was  unconscious.  She  had,  as  we 
have  already  seen,  been  reared  in  utter  ignorance  of  re- 
ligion, and  all  that  she  was  taught  concerning  it  was, 
that  it  was  a  system  of  priestcraft;  and  though  there 
might  be  some  honest,  deluded  professors  of  religion,  the 
most  of  them  were  arrant  hypocrites.  She  never  read  the 
Bible ;  for  her  father  considered  it  too  immoral  a  book  to 
put  in  his  daughter's  hands,  preferring  the  writings  of 
French  infidels,  and  even  the  blasphemous  scurrility  of 
Paine  himself,  to  that  book.  Beside  this,  she  never 
heard  a  Gospel  sermon,  being  prevented  from  attending 
all  religious  meetings.  Of  course  to  her  every  thing 
was  new;  and  though  she  could  appear  with  ease  and 
grace  in  the  drawing-room  or  gilded  saloon,  she  felt 
embarrassed  in  the  midst  of  a  worshiping  assembly. 
She  composed  herself,  however,  as  well  as  she  was  able ; 
and  when  the  preacher  rose,  and  with  solemn  voice  an- 
nounced the  text,  "  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave 
his  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life,"  her  attention 
was  absorbed.  This  was  the  first  and  all  of  the  Gospel 
she  had  ever  heard,  and  it  sounded  strangely  in  her  ears. 
She  had  read  Ilosseau's  opinion  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  was 
disposed  to  look  on  him  as  an  innocent,  upright  man,  and 
she  coincided  with  him  in  opposition  to  other  infidel  wri- 
ters who  had  asserted  that  he  was  an  impostor.  When 
the  preacher  fully  opened  his  theme,  representing  God's 
love  in  sending  his  Son  into  the  world  to  die  for  us,  and 


WESTEKN    METHODISM.  365 

the  love  of  Christ  in  coming  and  taking  upon  himself 
our  load  of  guilt  and  shame,  illustrated  by  scenes  drawn 
from  real  life,  and  enforced  and  applied  to  the  listening 
audience,  the  heart  of  the  young  girl  was  broken  up,  and 
she  wept  aloud.  Every  eye  was  suffused  in  tears,  and 
many  were  the  warm  and  ardent  prayers  that  went  up  to 
heaven  in  behalf  of  that  weeping  one. 

When  the  meeting  was  ended  she  returned  home ;  but 
so  deeply  was  she  affected  by  what  she  had  heard  that  it 
was  impossible  for  her  to  conceal  her  feelings  from  her 
mother,  who,  in  a  stern  voice,  asked  her  where  she  had 
been,  almost  as  soon  as  she  entered  the  sitting-room.  On 
being  informed  that  she  had  been  to  meeting,  she  became 
very  much  excited,  and  said,  in  an  angry  tone,  "If  you 
go  again  those  ignorant  fanatics  will  ruin  you  forever; 
and  if  it  comes  to  your  father's  ears  that  you  have  been 
to  Methodist  meeting,  he  will  banish  you  from  the  house; 
besides,  you  ought  to  know  better.  The  instructions  you 
have  received  should  guard  you  against  all  such  impropri- 
eties, and  I  hope  hereafter  I  shall  never  hear  of  your 
being  at  such  a  place." 

Night  came,  and  with  it  came  the  hour  for  meeting. 
Now  commenced  a  conflict  in  the  mind  of  the  daughter. 
She  had  never  disobeyed  her  mother,  nor  did  she  ever 
feel  disposed  to  act  contrary  to  her  wishes  in  any  respect; 
but  her  heart  longed  for  the  place  of  prayer,  and  she  felt 
strongly  drawn  to  it  by  a  secret,  invisible  agency  she 
could  not  resist.  "  Shall  I,"  said  she  to  herself,  "  diso- 
bey my  mother,  and  incur  the  displeasure  of  my  father, 
and  perhaps  banishment  from  home  ?  But  the  preacher 
said  that  'the  Savior  of  the  world  declared  that  "who- 
soever loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me  is  not  wor- 
thy of  me;  and  whosoever  will  not  forsake  father  and 
mother  for  my  sake  and  the  Gospel's,  shall  not  enter 
heaven.'"  I  will  forsake  all  for  Christ."  The  crisis 
31* 


366  SKETCHES    OF 

had  come;  the  gate  was  passed;  and  her  joyous  destiny 
was  sealed  forever.  She  left  her  home  and  went  to  meet- 
ing. An  inviting  sermon  was  preached,  at  the  close  of 
which  seekers  of  religion  were  invited  to  kneel  at  the 
mourner's  bench,  and  pray  for  pardon.  No  sooner  was 
the  invitation  given  than  she  pressed  her  way  through 
the  crowd,  and  fell  upon  the  bench,  crying  for  mercy. 
Her  full  heart  now  poured  forth  its  griefs  in  sobs  and 
fervent  prayers.  The  whole  congregation  was  taken  by 
surprise,  and  filled  with  utter  astonishment  at  the  scene, 
knowing,  as  the  most  of  them  did,  the  utter  contempt  in 
which  her  father  and  mother  held  religion  and  all  relig- 
ious exercises.  Surely,  thought  they,  this  must  be  the 
special  interposition  of  God,  and  every  heart  was  lifted 
up  in  fervent  prayer  in  her  behalf.  There,  at  that 
mourner's  bench,  she  struggled  in  agonizing  prayer  for 
two  hours.  It  was  apparently  the  noon  of  night,  and  yet 
she  was  not  converted.  Never  was  mourner  more  deeply 
engaged.  She  had  made  the  last  resolve.  One  after 
another  of  the  faithful  had  poured  out  their  hearts  at  the 
mercy  seat  in  her  behalf;  hymn  after  hymn  was  sung,  as 
only  those  can  sing  who  sing  with  the  spirit;  but  still 
she  came  not  through  the  dark  valley.  Faith  began  to 
flag,  and  some  thought  the  penitent  must  disrobe  herself 
of  her  hat,  and  plume,  and  flowers,  and  ruffles,  ere  the 
Lord  could  bless.  But  God  looks  at  the  heart,  and  he 
saw,  down  deep  in  its  own  recesses,  a  soul  absorbed  in 
grief,  conscious  of  nothing  but  its  guilt  and  sin.  At 
length  the  last  hymn  was  rolling  up  from  swelling  hearts 
and  tuneful  voices  to  heaven.  The  last  stanza  was  reached, 

"  Yet  save  a  trembling  sinner,  Lord, 
Whose  hopes,  still  hovering  round  thy  word, 
Would  light  on  some  sweet  promise  there, 
Some  sure  support  against  despair;" 

and  as  the  last  strain  sounded  in  the  ear  of  the  penitent, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  367 

she  gently  threw  back  her  head,  and  opened  her  calm 
blue  eyes,  yet  sparkling  with  tears;  but  they  were  the 
tears  that  told  of  sins  forgiven.  She  had  emerged  from 
the  darkness,  and  the  light  of  heaven  was  beaming  upon 
her  happy  countenance,  and  an  unearthly  radiance  gleamed 
like  a  glory  on  her  brow.  If  before  she  was  beautiful, 
now  that  she  was  adorned  with  heavenly  grace  one  might 
think  she  could  claim  kindred  with  the  skies.  She  arose, 
and  embraced  in  her  arms  the  sisters  who  had  prayed 
with  her,  and  pointed  her  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  who 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  She  had  passed  the 
noon  of  many  a  night  in  scenes  of  guilty  mirth  and  rev- 
elry, where  she  was  the  foremost  of  the  band,  the  fairest 
of  the  fair;  but  never  did  such  joy  and  gladness  come  to 
her  soul  as  she  experienced  on  that  occasion.  She  re- 
turned home,  feeling  now  that  she  could  gladly  bear  any 
thing  for  the  sake  of  her  Lord  and  Master.  When  she 
arrived  she  related  to  her  mother  what  had  occurred,  and 
exclaimed,  "  0,  how  precious  is  the  Savior !"  She  would 
have  embraced  her  mother  in  her  arms;  but  she  repulsed 
her  and  reproached  her,  telling  her  that  if  she  did  not 
cease  her  nonsense  she  would  drive  her  away  from  the 
house,  and  that  she  had  disgraced  the  family  and  ruined 
herself  forever.  She  retired  to  her  room,  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  the  night  in  prayer  and  praise  to  God. 

Soon  it  was  noised  abroad  that  the  infidel's  daughter 
was  converted;  and  some  of  his  friends,  supposing,  doubt- 
less, that  they  would  render  him  great  service,  wrote  to 
him  on  the  subject,  giving  him  the  most  absurd  and 
ridiculous  accounts  of  her  exercises  while  at  the  mourn- 
er's bench,  and  after  she  was  converted.  When  Mr.  P. 
received  this  intelligence  he  was  greatly  enraged,  and 
swore  that  he  would  banish  his  daughter  from  his  house, 
and  she  should  be  entirely  disinherited  and  disowned. 
All  this  moved  not  the  converted  daughter;  for  she  real- 


3t>8  SKETCHES    OF 

ized  the  truth  of  the  Divine  declaration,  "When  my 
father  and  mother  forsake  me,  then  the  Lord  will  take 
me  up."  The  day  was  at  length  fixed  for  his  return 
home,  and  Eliza — for  that  was  the  daughter's  name — 
placed  herself  at  the  window  to  watch  his  arrival.  In 
the  afternoon  he  was  seen  approaching  on  horseback,  and 
Eliza  hastened  out  to  the  gate  to  meet  her  father.  When, 
with  a  pale,  sweet  countenance,  she  stepped  up  to  her 
father  to  embrace  and  kiss  him,  he  rudely  seized  her  by 
the  arm,  and,  with  his  horsewhip,  whipped  her  out  of 
the  gate,  telling  her  to  begone,  and,  with  many  curses, 
forbidding  her  return.  Sadly  she  went  weeping  down 
the  lane ;  but  she  thought  of  what  her  Savior  had  suf- 
fered for  her,  and  her  heart  was  staid  up  under  the 
mighty  load  which  oppressed  it.  She  realized  then,  to 
its  fullest  extent,  what  it  was  to  love  the  Lord  Jesus 
more  than  all  else  besides.  Though  she  had  lost  natural 
friends  she  had  found  spiritual  friends.  That  "  manifold 
more  in  this  life,  and  in  the  world  to  come  life  everlast- 
ing," is  what  only  religion  can  give. 

"Like  snows  that  fall  where  waters  glide, 

Earth's  pleasures  fade  away ; 
They  rest  in  time's  resistless  tide, 

And  cold  are  while  they  stay. 
But  joys  that  from  religion  flow, 

Like  stars  that  gild  the  night, 
Amid  the  deepest  gloom  of  woe, 

Shine  forth  with  sweetest  light." 

Not  far  from  her  father's  residence  lived  a  pious  Meth- 
odist— a  poor  widow — and  she  was  apprised  of  the  state 
of  things  at  the  house  of  Mr.  P.  When  she  saw  Eliza 
coming  to  her  house  one  evening,  she  was  not  at  a  loss 
to  conjecture  the  cause.  The  poor  widow  gave  her  a  cor- 
dial reception,  and  spoke  to  her  words  of  kindness  and 
comfort.  Eliza  asked  permission  to  go  into  the  little 
room,  and  be  allowed  to  remain  there  undisturbed.  No 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  369 


joooner  was  she  alone  than  she  fell  upon  her  knees,  and 
[commenced  pouring  out  her  soul  to  God  in  prayer  for  her 
'Wicked  father  and  mother. 

But  we  must  return  to  the  father.     As  he  gazed  after 
jEliza,  who  went  sobbing  down  the  lane,  it  seemed  as 
[though  a  thousand  fiends  of  darkness  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  his  soul.     He  went  to  the  house,  and  met  his 
I  wife;  but  she  was   equally  wretched,  having  witnessed 
j  what  was  done.     He  sat  down.     They  spoke  not,  except 
•in  monosyllables.     The  supper-hour  arrived,  but  he  re- 
|  fused  to  eat,  though  he  had  been  riding  all  day.     Now 
land  then  a  groan  would  escape  his  lips.     He  went  to  his 
[library,  and  turned  over  his  books  and  papers;  but  it  was 
I  in  a  hurried  manner,  and  with  a  vacant  look.     At  length 
the  retired  to  his  chamber,  but  not  to  rest.     Sleep  had 
|  forsaken  his  eyelids,  and  if  he  did  close  them,  the  sweet, 
|  angel  face  of  his  banished  Eliza  would  send  daggers  to 
I  his  soul.     Thus  he  spent  a  sleepless  night.     Next  day  he 
wandered  about  over  the  farm,  and  through  the  woods, 
like  one  seeking,  with  the  greatest  anxiety,  for  something 
i  that  was  lost.     It  was  evident  to  all  that  there  was  some- 
'  thing  resting  upon  his  mind  that  greatly  troubled  him. 
I  The  cause  of  that  trouble  his  proud,  infidel  heart  would 
i  not  allow  him  to  disclose,  even  if  the  human  heart  were 
;  disposed  to  lift  the  vail  from  the  secret  sanctuary  of  its 
bitterness.      Unable   to   find   rest  he   again   sought  his 
chamber;  but,  alas!  his  anguish  increased,  and  he  began 
to  see  the  shallowness  of  his  infidelity,  and  also  its  dark, 
horrid  nature,  in  that  it  could  prompt  him  to  drive  hia 
lovely,  and  otherwise  obedient  daughter  from  his  house, 
simply  because  she  had  become  a  Christian.     From  that 
moment  he  was  a  changed  man — not  that  he  was  con- 
verted ;    but   from   a   hard,    impenitent   sinner   he   was 
brought  to  relent  and  pray.     There  he  prayed  for  hours; 
but  not  one  ray  of  hope  penetrated  his  darkness.     His 


370  SKETCHES    OF 

abused  and  banished  Eliza  would  rise  before  him,  and  his 
convictions  increased,  till  he  raved  like  the  demoniac 
among  the  tombs  of  Gadara.  It  seemed  as  if  he  would 
not  be  able  much  longer  to  support  the  mountain  weight 
that  was  crushing  him ;  for  the  sorrows  of  hell  got  hold 
upon  him,  and  he  anticipated  the  pain  of  the  second 
death.  Flying  from  his  room,  he  called  his  servant- 
boy,  and  ordering  him  to  saddle  Eliza's  horse  and  mount 
another,  he  directed  him  to  go  to  every  house  in  the 
neighborhood  in  quest  of  his  daughter,  and  if  he  found 
her  to  bring  her  home.  Seeing  that  his  orders  were 
immediately  obeyed,  he  returned  to  his  chamber;  but 
the  load  that  pressed  upon  his  heart  was  removed,  and 
the  anguish  that  drank  up  his  spirits  was  gone.  He  was 
comforted,  but  not  converted.  The  raging  deep  was 
calmed,  but  the  sun  shone  not  upon  its  dark  waters.  He 
walked  out  into  the  garden,  and  there,  beneath  Eliza's 
favorite  bower,  he  kneeled  down,  and  again  lifted  up  his 
heart  and  commended  himself  to  God.  Scarcely  had  his 
knees  touched  the  ground  till  the  Sun  of  righteousness 
arose,  with  healing  in  its  beams,  upon  him,  and  per- 
vading all  the  great  deep  of  his  mind,  lighted  it  up 
with  the  peace  and  calm  of  heaven. 

For  twenty-four  hours,  without  eating  or  sleeping, 
Eliza  remained  in  that  widow's  room,  engaged  in  earnest 
supplication  for  her  father.  The  pious  mother  in  Israel, 
in  looking  out  of  her  window,  as  the  day  was  drawing  to 
a  close,  saw  the  servant  coming  with  two  horses,  and  she 
ran  immediately  into  the  little  room,  exclaiming,  "  Eliza, 
arise,  your  father  has  sent  for  you.  I  see  John  coming 
with  your  horse  and  saddle."  The  happy  child  arose, 
and  burst  out  in  rapturous  exclamations  of  praise  to  God 
for  his  goodness  and  mercy  in  touching  her  father's 
heart.  She  was  soon  in  her  saddle,  and  the  faithful 
charger  bore  her  fleetly  to  her  home  as  if  proud  of  his 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  371 

urdeu.  When  in  sight  of  home  she  saw  her  weeping 
ather,  standing  at  the  same  gate  from  whence,  on  the 
vening  before,  he  had  driven  her  a  fugitive  abroad. 
She  sprang  from  her  horse  into  his  arms,  and  embracing 
his  child  with  a  love  he  never  experienced  before,  he 
Lclaimed,  "  My  angel  of  mercy,  I  give  you  my  heart  and 
iy  hand  to  travel  with  you  to  the  heavenly  inheritance." 
;  was  a  happy  family;  for  the  mother  was  soon  con- 
yerted,  and  joined  with  the  father  and  daughter  in  the 
ervice  of  God,  and  they  all  continued  faithful  disciples 
f  Christ  till  they  were  called  from  the  Church  militant 
o  the  Church  triumphant  in  heaven. 


372  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

ALEXANDER    CUMMINS. 

AMONG  that  class  of  preachers,  distinguished  for  zeal 
and  talents,  who  entered  the  itinerancy  in  the  great 
west  in  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  was 
the  Rev.  Alexander  Cummins,  a  short  sketch  of  whose 
life  and  labors  we  propose  to  give.  He  was  born  in  Albe- 
marle  county,  Virginia,  September  5,  1787.  His  parents 
scut  him  to  school,  and  he  received  a  liberal  education 
for  that  day.  In  the  twentieth  year  of  his  age,  after 
having  removed  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  the  Scioto  Valley, 
he  was  awakened  to  a  sense  of  his  lost  condition  as  a 
sinner,  and,  after  a  severe  struggle  against  sin  and  tempt- 
ation, he  at  length  was  soundly  converted,  and  entered 
the  path  of  life.  Being  awakened  and  converted  through 
the  instrumentality  of  the  Methodist  pioneers,  he  con- 
nected himself  with  the  Methodist  Church  as  the  one  of 
his  choice.  It  was  not  long  till  he  became  deeply  and 
intensely  exercised  on  the  subject  of  calling  sinners  to 
repentance,  and  offering  the  cup  of  salvation,  whose  life- 
giving  waters  had  so  quickened  and  refreshed  his  own 
soul,  to  the  souls  of  his  fellow-men.  He  saw  the  world 
lying  in  wickedness,  and  guilty  multitudes  pressing  on 
the  way  to  death  and  hell,  and  his  spirit  was  stirred 
within  him  to  go  out  and  warn  them  to  flee  the  wrath  to 
come.  The  same  mercy  which  had  been  manifested  in 
his  own  behalf,  he  was  assured  would  be  extended  to 
others.  His  feelings  could  not  be  concealed.  The  Lord 
had  called  him,  and  the  Church  was  not  long  in  discov- 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  373 

ering  that  the  concern  of  mind  under  which  he  labored, 
associated,  as  it  was,  with  grace  and  gifts  of  no  ordinary 
degree,  united  in  constituting  an  indication  of  the  will 
of  God  that  he  should  enter  the  ministry.  While  the 
Church  prayed  "  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  that  he  would 
send  forth  laborers/'  she  was  ever  watchful  of  the  result, 
and  waited  for  an  answer,  not  by  any  miraculous  interpo- 
sition, but  that  God  would,  from  their  own  number,  raise 
up,  call  out,  and  qualify,  by  his  Spirit,  faithful  messen- 
gers of  salvation.  Hence,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
goon  recognized  as  the  called  of  the  Lord,  and  license 
was  given  him  as  a  local  preacher. 

At  the  conference  held  in  Cincinnati  in  the  year  1809, 
between  two  and  three  years  after  his  conversion,  he  was 
admitted  on  trial  in  the  traveling  connection,  and  ap- 
pointed to  Brush  Creek  circuit.  He  went  out  in  the 
spirit  of  his  Master,  and  labored  with  a  zeal  and  devo- 
tion which  gave  evidence  that  he  felt  the  burden  of  souls 
as  a  mountain  pressure  resting  upon  him.  If  he  could 
have  had  the  time  to  turn  aside  from  the  rough  and  rug- 
ged toils  of  itinerant  life  and  cultivate  the  flowers  of  lit- 
erature, he  had  no  disposition.  He  was  "a  man  of  one 
book"  and  one  work,  and,  by  night  and  by  day,  he  ex- 
horted sinners  to  flee  the  wrath  to  come.  Filling  out  his 
appointed  time  on  Brush  Creek,  he  was  next  year  sent  to 
Pickaway  circuit,  where  the  same  zeal  and  devotion  char- 
acterized his  labors.  The  ensuing  years  he  traveled  suc- 
cessively Delaware  and  Deer  Creek  circuits,  on  the  latter 
of  which  he  remained  two  years.  During  his  labors  ho 
suffered  many  hardships  and  privations ;  and  such  was  his 
burning,  unconquerable  zeal  that  his  constitution  gave 
way.  The  sword  proved  too  sharp  for  the  scabbard,  or, 
in  other  words,  his  flaming  spirit  consumed  the  earthly 
tabernacle  in  which  it  was  lodged.  Rest  was  inevitable, 
as  his  overtaxed  strength  would  not  be  able  to  stand 

32 


374  SKETCHES   OF 

another  year  of  toil  without  it;  and  he  must  cease  from 
toil  or  cease  to  live.  Accordingly,  he  was  induced  to  be 
left  without  an  appointment  for  one  year.  But,  alas  !  is 
there  any  rest  for  a  Methodist  preacher?  Then  they 
were  poor  and  almost  friendless,  and  when  they  were 
obliged,  from  want  of  health,  to  desist  from  preaching, 
it  was  absolutely  necessary  that  they  should  work,  or 
starvation  would  ensue.  The  Church  then,  and  now,  to 
a  very  great  extent,  virtually  says  to  its  preachers  as  a 
certain  master  once  said  to  his  servants  on  a  holiday, 
"Boys,  you  may  quit  work  and  go  to  piling  boards  for 
the  balance  of  the  day,  seeing  it  is  Fourth  of  July." 
Teaching  school  in  those  days  was  a  drudgery  and  toil  that 
would  not  be  likely  to  insure  much  rest  to  the  body  and 
quiet  to  the  mind.  In  this  employment  Cummins  en- 
gaged, and  at  the  close  of  the  year  he  became  again 
effective,  and  entered  the  itinerant  ranks.  He  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Miami  circuit,  which,  at  that  time,  em- 
braced an  extensive  and  laborious  field.  The  two  follow- 
ing years  he  was  stationed  in  Cincinnati,  at  the  expiration 
of  which  term  he  was  sent  to  preside  over  the  Kentucky 
district.  In  that  field  he  labored  with  his  usual  zeal  and 
fidelity  in  the  cause  of  his  Master,  and  thousands  in  the 
day  of  eternity  will  thank  God  that  they  ever  heard  the 
voice  of  Alexander  Cummins.  Having  filled  his  mission 
as  the  servant  of  the  Church  in  Kentucky,  he  returned 
to  Ohio,  and  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the  Miami 
district,  where  he  labored  two  years,  at  the  expiration  of 
which  time  "  he  ceased  at  once  to  work  and  live."  The 
following  tribute  of  respect  was  paid  to  the  memory  of 
this  sainted  man  by  the  Rev.  Russel  Bigelow,  one  of  his 
cotemporaries,  which  we  copy  from  the  Methodist  Maga- 
zine, Vol.  VII,  being  an  extract  from  the  funeral  sermon, 
delivered  by  that  eloquent  and  powerful  preacher: 
"Alexander  Cummins  was  a  man  of  a  sound  mind  and 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  375 

good  judgment,  particularly  in  spiritual  matters.  He  took 
considerable  pains  to  improve  his  mind  by  reading  and  a 
close  application  to  study.  As  a  man  and  acquaintance, 
he  was  kind,  and  agreeable,  and  very  much  respected. 
As  a  husband,  he  was  affectionate  and  provident.  As  a 
parent,  he  was  tender,  yet  strict  and  particular.  As  a 
Christian,  he  was  humble,  pious,  devout,  sober,  and 
cheerful.  As  a  minister,  he  was  regular,  zealous,  accept- 
able, and  useful.  His  language  was  good ;  his  sermons, 
in  the  general,  pointed  and  weighty.  His  talents  were 
not  the  most  brilliant,  but  his  greatness  consisted  in  va- 
riety and  goodness.  And  such  was  his  zeal,  variety,  and 
usefulness,  that  few,  if  any,  were  more  acceptable  or  pop- 
ular. His  success  has  been  more  than  ordinary.  I  have 
been  informed  that  many  were  converted  during  the  first 
years  of  his  ministry.  The  first  information  I  ever  re- 
ceived concerning  him  was  just  after  he  had  left  his 
third  circuit.  I  formed  an  acquaintance  in  several 
neighborhoods  in  that  circuit,  in  which  his  zeal  and 
usefulness  were  much  spoken  of;  and  when  I  traveled 
that  circuit  nine  years  afterward,  I  found  several  of  hia 
spiritual  children,  who  were  still  pressing  through  diffi- 
culties on  their  journey  to  the  promised  land.  My  ac- 
quaintance with  him  commenced  in  the  latter  end  of  the 
year  1815,  at  which  time  we  were  appointed  to  labor 
together  on  the  Miami  circuit.  I  was  young  and  inex- 
perienced, but  in  him  I  found  a  father,  an  instructor, 
and  a  firm  friend.  Long  shall  I  remember  the  good  ad- 
vice and  many  instructions  I  received,  and  the  pious  ex- 
amples set  before  me  by  the  beloved  minister  whose 
funeral  sermon  I  preach.  He  labored  that  year  with  dil- 
igence, zeal,  and  success.  His  zeal,  piety,  and  useful- 
ness, while  stationed  in  Cincinnati  the  two  following 
years,  I  need  scarcely  mention;  you,  my  brethren,  are 
his  record;  you  call  to  recollection  his  piety,  his  devo- 


376  SKETCHES    OF 

tion,  his  fervor,  his  diligence,  his  watchfulness,  his  anxi- 
ety, his  pathetic  sermons,  his  fervent  prayers.  You  call 
to  recollection  the  happy  hours  you  enjoyed  under  his 
ministry;  and  many  of  you,  I  presume,  consider  him  as 
the  instrument  of  your  conversion.  You  view  him  as 
your  spiritual  parent  under  Grod,  and  will  have  cause  to 
praise  God  forever  that  you  have  had  the  privilege  of  sit- 
ting under  his  ministry.  The  three  years  he  labored  as 
a  presiding  elder  in  Kentucky,  he  was  acceptable  and 
useful,  highly  esteemed  by  preachers  and  people.  His 
rides  were  long,  and,  in  some  parts,  rough  and  mount- 
ainous, and  his  labors  so  abundant  as  to  exhaust  his 
debilitated  system.  The  district  he  has  traveled  the  two 
past  years  is  also  large  and  very  laborious.  He,  how- 
ever, performed  his  duties  acceptably  and  usefully,  but 
with  great  pain,  often  traveling  and  preaching  when  he 
ought  to  have  had  rest,  particularly  the  last  six  months. 
I  have  already  said  considerable  concerning  our  departed 
brother;  but  I  can  not  forbear  mentioning  his  wisdom 
and  firmness  as  a  governor  in  the  Church.  It  was  here 
he  excelled;  here  his  true  greatness  appeared.  He  was 
not  one  of  those  hasty,  rash  sort  of  men,  but  firm  and 
fixed.  His  weakly  constitution,  which  was  severely 
racked  with  incessant  labor,  was  often  attacked  with 
wasting  disease ;  but  he  bore  all  with  Christian  patience. 
About  six  months  before  his  death  he  was  severely  af- 
flicted with  the  measles ;  but,  by  the  Divine  blessing,  he 
partially  recovered,  and  entered  again  upon  his  work. 
And  I  think  it  probable  that  his  exertion,  before  he  was 
fully  restored  to  health,  was  one  cause  of  bringing  on  the 
disease  which  terminated  his  earthly  career.  He  visited 
the  circuit  of  which  I  had  charge  but  a  short  time  before 
he  was  taken  with  his  last  sickness,  and  seemed  equally 
diligent  and  fervent  as  formerly,  though  hardly  able  to 
be  about.  He  left  our  camp  meeting  on  Sabbath  evening, 


WE8TEBN    METHODISM.  377 

and  came  home.  On  the  following  Friday,  rode  out  to 
Mechanicsburg,  about  eighteen  miles  from  this  place, 
j  [Cincinnati,]  to  attend  a  quarterly  meeting.  On  Satur- 
I  day  he  preached  his  last  sermon,  with  his  usual  zeal  and 
|  pathos,  on  'I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation,  to  every  one 
that  believeth.'  That  night  he  was  attacked  with  the 
disease  which  terminated  in  his  death.  He  was  brought 
home  in  a  wagon,  and  laid  on  his  bed,  where  he  remained 
for  eight  weeks,  a  man  of  sufferings,  racked  with  pain 
and  scorched  with  fever ;  but  he  bore  all  without  murmur- 
ing. He  was  grateful  for  every  kindness  shown  him,  and 
appeared  calm,  resigned,  and  patient.  He  said,  indeed, 
but  little  about  dying;  nor  did  he  praise  God  aloud  as 
some  have  done.  It  was  not  his  usual  way  when  in 
health ;  but  what  he  did  say  was  satisfactory.  To  one 
friend  he  said  that  he  had  no  anxiety  about  living,  but 
should  be  willing  to  live  till  he  could  settle  up  his  tem- 
poral business,  if  it  was  the  will  of  the  Lord,  because  he 
could  do  it  better  than  others,  and  thereby  prevent  trou- 
ble after  his  death  ;  but  he  was,  nevertheless,  willing  to 
resign  all  into  the  hands  of  the  Lord.  I  visited  him  one 
week  before  his  death  for  the  first  time,  and  several  times 
afterward.  On  one  of  my  visits  I  talked  to  him  respect- 
ing the  state  of  his  mind.  He  seemed  composed  and 
resigned,  and  said  he  felt  that  his  peace  was  made  with 
God.  The  brother  who  attended  on  him  asked  him,  a 
few  hours  before  his  death,  if  he  was  sensible  that  be 
would  soon  go.  He  said,  'Yes,  I  shall  soon  be  in  eter- 
nity.' The  brother  asked  him  if  he  had  any  doubts  or 
fears.  He  said,  (  Not  any ;  my  way  is  clear.'  His  de- 
parture was  on  the  27th  day  of  September,  1823,  a  little 
before  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  Thus  lived  and 
thus  died  our  beloved  brother  Cummins,  a  pattern  of 
piety,  a  waymark  to  heaven.  We  do  not  mean  to  say 

32* 


378  SKETCHES    OF 

that  he  had  no  failings ;  but  we  say  they  were  compara- 
tively few.  He  now  rests  from  his  labors  and  his  works 
follow  him." 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  379 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  CONVERSION  OF  A  CRUEL  MASTER. 

IN  the  state  of  Virginia,  in  an  early  day  in  the  history 
of  Methodism  in  the  western  country,  there  lived  a 
wealthy  and  influential  planter,  who  owned  a  large  num- 
ber of  slaves.  He  was  a  kind  master,  and  treated  his 
slaves  with  respect  and  affection,  regarding  them  as  mem- 
bers of  his  own  household.  As  an  evidence  of  this  he 
procured  for  them  every  advantage  of  intellectual  and 
moral  culture  within  his  power.  When  the  neighbor- 
hood was  visited  by  Methodist  ministers,  he  invited 
them  to  preach  on  his  plantation,  and  not  only  gave  all 
his  servants  an  opportunity  to  attend  preaching,  but  was 
particular  in  urging  them  to  go.  It  was  not  long  till  the 
Gospel,  preached  in  simplicity  and  power,  reached  the 
hearts  of  the  colored  people,  and  they  embraced  religion. 
And  not  only  were  the  servants  brought  to  taste  the  joys 
of  pardoning  mercy,  and  made  happy  in  a  Savior's 
love,  but  the  master  and  mistress  were  alike  included 
in  the  happy  number  of  the  converted.  If  before  the 
relation  of  master  and  servant  was  one  of  respect  for 
the  rights,  and  concern  for  the  happiness  of  the  latter, 
now  that  they  had  been  baptized  by  the  same  Spirit,  and 
made  one  in  Christ  Jesus,  there  was  a  bond  of  union  far 
more  powerful  than  could  possibly  grow  out  of  any  natural 
or  social  relations. 

Among  the  number  of  the  servants  who  had  obtained 
religion  and  joined  the  Church,  was  one  noted  for  his 
piety.  This  servant,  whose  name  was  "  Cuff,"  was  not 


380  SKETCHES    OF 

particularly  remarkable  for  any  loud  profession,  though 
he  was  always  ready,  in  the  spirit  of  meekness,  to  be  a 
witness  for  Jesus ;  but  for  unbending  integrity  and 
open,  straightforward  consistency  of  conduct,  he  had  few 
superiors  any  where.  For  one  who  enjoyed  no  greater 
advantages,  he  possessed  an  order  of  intellect  superior  to 
most  of  his  colored  brethren.  All  having  the  most  un- 
wavering faith  in  his  piety,  he  was  unanimously  selected 
by  his  brethren  to  lead  in  religious  exercises  at  the  meet- 
ings when  no  preacher  was  present.  Every  thing  went 
on  pleasantly  and  happily  in  this  religious  family  for 
years.  The  religion  of  Jesus,  which  is  adapted  to  all, 
and  designed  to  bring  the  highest  blessings  to  mankind 
in  general,  proves  of  especial  benefit  to  the  slaves;  and 
that  Church  which  is  the  most  actively  engaged  in 
preaching  the  Gospel  to  this  portion  of  our  fellow-beings 
most  certainly  gives  the  strongest  evidence  of  being  the 
true  Church  of  Him  who  said,  "  The  poor  have  the  Gos- 
pel preached  to  them."  A  Church  having  been  estab- 
lished on  this  plantation,  through  the  influence  of  Meth- 
odist preachers,  meetings  were  kept  up  regularly,  and 
when  the  intervening  Sabbaths  would  come,  at  which 
time  the  preacher  was  absent  at  another  appointment, 
the  voice  of  praise  and  prayer  would  ascend  from  the 
humble  chapel,  and  Cuff  would  pour  out  his  full  heart  iu 
exhortations,  with  an  eloquence  and  power  none  could 
resist.  Often  have  the  hearts  of  proud  and  wicked  mas- 
ters, from  adjoining  plantations,  who  had  been  attracted 
out  of  mere  curiosity  to  attend  the  meetings,  been  made 
to  tremble,  while  the  falling  tear  from  proud  and  haughty 
mistresses,  who  would  wonder  at  the  audacity  of  the 
negro,  would  betray  the  emotions  his  eloquence  had  pro- 
duced. Many  a  conscience  had  thus  been  smitten  by 
burning  words  which  had  been  proof  against  the  Gospel 
in  the  fashionable  Churches  of  the  city. 


WE8TEKN    METHODISM.  381 

The  happy  seasons  enjoyed  at  the  little  plantation 
Church  were  fearfully  broken  in  upon  by  a  most  melan- 
choly event.  The  old  master  was  called  to  pronounce 
upon  his  faithful  servants  his  parting  blessing,  and  then 
to  pass  away  to  that  world  where  such  relations  are  un- 
known. Death  came  to  the  aged  patriarch,  and  ho  was 
followed  by  his  weeping  family  and  friends  to  his  silent 
home.  This  event,  as  is  often  the  case,  broke  up  the 
family,  and  the  servants  were  divided  among  the  chil- 
dren. Cuff  fell  into  the  hands  of  one  of  the  eons.  This 
young  man  commenced  the  world  as  many  do  in  similar 
circumstances,  whose  parents  are  affluent.  Having  formed 
no  habits  of  industry,  and  wholly  unfitted  for  business, 
improvident  and  careless,  believing  that  to-morrow  would 
be  as  to-day,  and  much  more  abundant  of  blessing,  he  was 
not  long  in  squandering  the  estate  left  him  by  his  father; 
and  becoming  hopelessly  involved,  an  attachment  was 
sued  out  by  his  creditors  on  all  his  property,  and  the 
servants,  with  the  rest  of  the  estate,  were  advertised  at 
public  sale.  In  that  neighborhood  there  lived  a  young 
man,  who  had  recently  married,  and  was  making  prepara- 
tions for  keeping  house.  To  complete  these  preparations 
it  was  necessary  for  him  to  purchase  a  good  servant;  and 
having  knowledge  of  the  sale,  he  accordingly  attended. 
He  was  by  profession  an  infidel,  and  carefully  avoided 
going  to  any  religious  meetings,  though  his  wife,  previ- 
ous to  her  marriage,  had  often  attended,  and  had  listened 
with  unusual  interest  to  the  eloquent  negro.  Having 
gone  round  and  inspected  the  slaves,  as  was  customary 
among  buyers,  he  was  struck  most  favorably  with  the 
appearance  of  Cuff,  and  believing  he  would  suit  him,  he 
began  to  question  his  master  in  regard  to  his  good  and 
bad  qualities.  The  young  master  informed  the  infidel 
that  Cuff  was  the  most  honest  and  upright  negro  he 
ever  knew,  and  he  could  only  think  of  one  fault  which 


382  SKETCHES    OF 

he  had  that  might  make  him  objectionable  to  the  pur- 
chaser, and  that  was,  that  "  he  would  pray  and  go  to 
meeting." 

"Ah,"  said  the  infidel,  "is  that  all  you  have  against 
him?  I  can  soon  whip  that  out  of  him." 

He  made  the  purchase  and  took  him  home.  Cuff, 
with  a  sad  heart,  left  the  old  homestead,  and  his  breth- 
ren, and  the  little  chapel,  where  he  had  enjoyed  so  much 
religious  comfort.  When  he  had  performed  the  duties 
of  the  day  enjoined  by  his  new  master,  he  started  out  to 
seek  a  place  for  private  prayer.  Adjoining  the  garden 
was  a  nursery,  and  it  being  a  secluded  spot,  he  retired 
amid  the  thicket  of  young  trees  with  which  it  was  filled, 
and  there  alone  he  kneeled  and  poured  out  his  burdened 
spirit  to  God.  While  engaged  in  his  devotions  his  young 
mistress,  who  was  walking  in  the  garden,  overheard  him, 
and,  drawing  nigh  to  listen,  she  soon  recognized  the  elo- 
quent voice  that  had  thrilled  her  at  the  Woodland  Chapel. 
She  was  chained  to  the  spot,  as  the  low  and  melancholy 
tones  of  the  supplicant  were  breathed  into  the  ears  of  the 
Lord  of  Sabaoth;  and  when,  with  fervor,  he  prayed  for 
the  blessing  of  God  to  come  down  upon  his  new  master 
and  mistress,  the  unsealed  fountain  of  her  heart  poured 
forth  its  tears. 

On  the  ensuing  Sabbath  Cuff  went  to  meeting,  and 
also  at  night,  but  returned  so  as  to  be  ready  for  duty 
early  on  Monday  morning.  He  was  not  aware  of  the 
infidel  character  of  his  master,  though,  from  what  he  had 
seen  and  heard  during  the  short  time  he  had  been  with 
him,  he  knew  that  he  was  a  stranger  to  grace.  Knowing, 
also,  that  there  are  many  irreligious  people,  who,  never- 
theless, have  a  great  respect  for  religion  and  its  institu- 
tions, when  Cuff  was  asked  the  next  morning  by  his  mas- 
ter where  he  had  been,  he  said,  "I  have  been  to  meetinj 
and,  bless  de  Lord,  it  was  a  good  time,  massa." 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  383 

"Cuff,"  said  the  master,  in  a  gruff,  angry  voice,  "you 
must  quit  praying;  I  will  have  none  of  it  about  the 
place." 

"  Massa,  I  do  any  thing  you  tell  me  dat  I  can  do ;  but 
I  can't  quit  praying.  My  Massa  in  heaven  command  me 
to  pray." 

"  But  you  shall  quit  it,  and  promise  to  do  so  or  I  will 
whip  you." 

"  I  can  not  do  one  nor  the  other,  massa." 

"Follow  me,  then,  you  obstinate  negro,"  said  the  mas- 
ter, greatly  excited,  "  and  we  shall  see  whose  authority  is 
to  be  obeyed  in  this  matter." 

The  slave  was  led  out,  and,  after  being  stripped  of  the 
few  tattered  garments  that  covered  his  person,  he  was 
tied  to  a  tree  in  the  yard.  With  a  rawhide  the  master 
inflicted  twenty-five  strokes  upon  his  bare  back.  The 
master  then  said,  "Now,  Cuff,  will  you  quit  praying?" 

"No,  massa,"  was  the  reply,  "I  will  pray  to  Jesus  as 
long  as  I  live." 

He  then  gave  the  negro  twenty-five  more  lashes,  and 
the  blood  ran  down  to  the  ground.  At  the  close  of  this 
horrid  scene  in  the  brutal  tragedy,  the  master  exclaimed, 
"  You  will  quit  now,  won't  you  ?" 

Meekly  as  his  divine  Master  bore  the  cruel  scourge 
before  him,  he  replied,  "No,  my  massa,  I  will  pray  to  my 
blessed  God  while  I  live." 

This  so  enraged  the  infuriate  fiend,  that  he  flew  at  him 
with  all  the  rage  of  a  tiger  thirsting  for  blood,  and  plying 
the  bloody  weapon  with  all  his  remaining  strength,  he 
stopped  not  till  he  was  obliged  to  give  over  from  sheer 
exhaustion. 

"  Will  you  stop  your  praying  now,  you  infernal  nigger, 
you?" 

The  same  meek  voice  replied,  "  No,  massa,  you  may 
kill  me,  but  while  I  live  I  must  pray." 


384  SKETCHES    OF 

"  Then  you  shall  be  whipped  this  much  every  time  you 
pray  or  go  to  meeting." 

He  was  untied,  ordered  to  put  on  his  clothes,  and  go 
about  his  work.  When  out  of  sight  and  hearing  of  his 
master,  he  sang,  in  a  low  and  plaintive  tone, 

"  My  suffering  time  will  soon  be  o'er, 
Then  shall  I  sigh  and  weep  no  more ; 
My  ransomed  soul  shall  soar  away 
To  sing  God's  praise  in  endless  day." 

While  this  cruel  scene  was  transpiring,  the  young  mis- 
tress was  looking  through  the  window  weeping,  and  when 

S.  M came  into  the  house,  she  said,  "My  dear 

husband,  why  did  you  whip  that  poor  negro  so,  just  for 
praying  ?     I  am  sure  there  can  be  no  harm  in  that." 

"Silence,"  shouted  the  enraged  husband ;  "not  an- 
other word  on  the  subject,  or  I  will  give  you  as  much  as 
I  gave  him." 

All  that  day  S.  M raved  like  a  madman,  curs- 
ing the  negro  and  all  his  race,  and  cursing  God  for  having 
created  them.  Night  came.  He  retired  to  his  chamber, 
and  fell  upon  his  couch  to  rest.  In  vain  he  courted 
sleep,  if  for  nothing  else  than  to  shut  out  the  horrid  vis- 
ions of  his  tempest-tossed  mind.  He  turned  from  side  to 
side  with  unutterable  groanings.  Just  before  day  he  ex- 
claimed, "  I  feel  that  I  shall  be  damned !  0,  God,  have 
mercy  on  me  !"  He  then  said  to  his  wife — the  first  word 
he  had  spoken  to  her  since  his  threat — "Is  there  any 
one  about  the  house  that  can  or  will  pray  for  me  ?" 

"None,"  said  she,  "that  I  know  of  but  the  poor  negro 
you  whipped  yesterday." 

"  0,  I  am  sure  he  will  not,  he  can  not  pray  for  me !" 
"Yes,"  said  the  weeping  wife,  "I  think  he  will." 
"Then,  for  God's  sake,  send  some  one  to  call  him!" 
A  servant  was  soon  dispatched;  and  when  Cuff  heard 
that  his  master  wanted  him,  expecting  a  renewal  of  the 


WESTERN  METHODISM.  385 

scenes  of  yesterday — for  he  had  been  praying  all  night — 
he  went  from  his  low,  dingy  cabin  into  the  chamber  of 
his  master.  What  was  his  astonishment,  when  he  en- 
tered, to  find  his  master  prostrate  on  the  floor,  crying  for 
mercy ! 

"  0,"  said  he,  at  sight  of  his  injured  slave,  "  will  you, 
can  you  pray  for  me  ?  I  feel  that  I  shall  be  damned 
before  morning  unless  God  have  mercy  upon  me." 

"Yes,  massa,  I  bless  God,  I  have  been  praying  for  you 
and  mistress  all  the  night." 

He  then  fell  upon  his  knees,  beside  his  prostrate  mas- 
ter and  kneeling  wife,  and,  with  a  fervor  and  a  faith  that 
opened  heaven,  he  wrestled  hard  with  God  for  the  guilty 
man.  Thus  he  continued  in  prayer  and  exhortation, 
pointing  the  guilty  to  the  guiltless  one,  till  morning 
light,  when  God,  in  mercy,  stooped  to  answer  prayer, 
and  set  the  dark,  sin-chained  soul  of  the  infidel  at  lib- 
erty, and  wrote  a  pardon  on  his  heart.  Soon  as  the  love 
of  God  was  shed  abroad  in  the  master's  soul,  he  em- 
braced his  servant  in  his  arms,  exclaiming,  "Cuff,  my 
dear  brother  in  Christ,  from  this  moment  you  are  a  free 
man." 

Great  was  the  joy  and  rejoicing  in  that  house  on  that 
day.  The  wife  had  also  found  the  pearl  of  great  price, 
and  now  one  in  Christ,  as  they  were  before  one  in  flesh, 
their  souls  were  dissolved  in  the  bliss  of  heaven.  The 
slave  was  freed,  and  employed  by  his  master  as  chaplain 
at  a  good  salary,  and  Cuff  went  every-where  among  his 
scattered  brethren  preaching  the  word.  The  master  him- 
self became  a  zealous  and  successful  minister  of  the  Gos- 
pel, and  lived  many  years  to  preach  that  Jesus  whose 
name  he  had  blasphemed,  and  whose  disciple  he  had 
scourged. 

33 


386  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

MARCUS     LINDSEY. 

THE  subject  of  our  narrative  was  born  in  Ireland,  and 
brought  to  this  country  when  quite  a  boy.  His  parents 
were  Protestants,  of  which  the  "Emerald  Isle"  has  pro- 
duced some  of  the  stanchest.  Well  was  it  for  Ireland 
that  the  benevolent  spirit  of  Methodism  crossed  the 
British  Channel,  and  bore  the  messages  of  mercy  to  a 
spiritually-dead  form  of  religion,  on  the  one  hand,  and 
an  equally-corrupt  form  on  the  other.  Neither  the 
Church  of  England  nor  the  Church  of  Rome  had  done 
much  for  poor,  unhappy  Ireland,  in  rousing  its  poor, 
downtrodden  masses  from  the  sleep  of  death.  The  par- 
ents belonged  to  the  Church  of  England,  and,  of  course, 
young  Marcus  was  trained  up  in  the  peculiarities  of  that 
faith.  Being  of  a  naturally-reflective  turn  of  mind  he 
was  early  impressed  with  religious  thoughts,  and  con- 
vinced of  the  depravity  of  his  young  heart,  as  its  way- 
wardness manifested  itself  in  disobedience  to  God  and 
his  parents.  His  convictions  in  regard  to  his  sinful  state 
were  greatly  increased  in  being  permitted  occasionally  to 
hear  Methodist  preaching.  The  sermons  that  young 
Lindsey  heard  from  Wesley's  missionaries  resulted  in  his 
awakening  and  conversion  to  God.  It  was  not  long  after 
this  event  that  he  felt  deeply  impressed  with  the  belief 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  exhort  sinners  to  flee  the  wrath  to 
come,  and  be  saved  from  their  sins.  After  exercising 
awhile  in  this  relation,  and  his  brethren  being  convinced, 
by  the  gifts  and  grace  which  he  possessed,  and  the  fruits 


WESTERN    MKTHOD18M.  387 

which  attended  his  labors,  that  he  was  called  of  God  to 
devote  himself  exclusively  to  the  work  of  calling  sinners 
to  repentance,  he  was  recommended  to  the  conference, 
and  accordingly  received  into  the  traveling  connection 
in  1810. 

His  first  appointment  was  to  the  Hartford  circuit,  Ken- 
tucky, on  which  he  labored  with  great  zeal  and  devotion 
through  the  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  was 
ordained  a  deacon  for  the  missionary  work,  and  appointed 
to  Big  Sandy  river.  This  was  a  wild,  mountainous,  half- 
civilized  region  of  country,  and  remains  so  to  some  con- 
siderable extent  at  the  present  day.  The  Big  Sandy  waa 
a  kind  of  neutral  ground  between  Kentucky  and  Vir- 
ginia, and  its  deep  glens,  and  mountain  gorges,  and  dense, 
unbroken  forests,  made  it  the  home  of  a  daring,  reckless 
race  of  individuals,  and  the  horse-thief,  and  gambler,  and 
counterfeiter  has  often  sought  refuge  in  its  dark  defiles 
from  the  pursuit  of  justice.  We  could  describe  many 
scenes  of  terror  and  darkness  that  have  transpired  in  that 
region,  but  we  must  proceed  to  our  sketch.  The  youthful 
herald  entered  this  field  of  labor,  and  braving  every  diffi- 
culty and  danger,  he  penetrated  its  wilds,  and  proclaimed 
to  its  startled  and  scattered  inhabitants,  salvation  in  the 
name  of  Jesus.  Many  heard  the  joyful  sound,  and 
turned  their  feet  from  the  ways  of  sin  and  wickedness  to 
the  ways  of  righteousness  and  peace.  We  may  talk 
about  the  desolation  that  reigns  in  the  jungles  of  India, 
and  on  the  wild  and  gloomy  mountains  of  Africa,  or  the 
solitudes  of  Oregon,  but  we  have  the  heathen  in  the 
form  of  half-civilized  man,  in  some  of  the  wild  places 
of  the  states  of  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and  Virginia;  ay. 
they  may  be  found  in  some  of  the  garrets  and  cellars 
of  our  dark  alleys  in  the  city  full  of  Churches,  where 
thousands  are  contributed  yearly  to  convert  the  Hottentot, 
the  Chinese,  and  the  East  Indian.  We  are  not  afraid, 


388  SKETCHES   OF 

though  we  thus  speak,  that  the  charity  that  begins  at 
home  will  end  there ;  no,  for  those  who  care  most  for  the 
destitute  around  them  are  sure  to  feel  deeply  and  care 
largely  for  those  who  are  abroad. 

The  next  year  he  was  appointed  to  Little  Sandy,  and 
here  his  labors  were  crowned  with  the  most  abundant 
success;  and  at  the  close  of  this  year  he  was  sent  into 
Ohio,  and  stationed  on  the  Union  circuit.  Here  success 
attended  his  labors  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of 
Jesus.  We  have  not  time,  however,  nor  space,  to  enter 
into  any  detail  in  regard  to  the  triumphs  of  the  Gospel 
which  he  witnessed  in  this  field.  In  1815  he  was  re- 
moved to  the  Marietta  circuit,  where  he  was  made  the 
instrument  of  much  good.  While  on  this  circuit  he  was 
instrumental,  in  the  hands  of  God,  in  the  conversion  of 
John  Stewart,  the  colored  man,  who  went  out  as  the  first 
missionary  among  the  Wyandott  Indians.  Stewart  had 
been  a  very  dissipated  man,  and,  in  one  of  his  drunken 
fits  of  delirium  tremens,  he  had  started  to  the  Ohio  river 
to  drown  himself.  On  his  way  he  had  to  pass  by  the 
place  where  Lindsey  was  holding  meeting.  Being  at- 
tracted by  the  sound — for  Methodist  preachers  generally 
cry  aloud,  and  spare  not — he  drew  up,  and  stood  by  the 
door,  where  he  could  distinctly  hear  all  that  was  said. 
The  preacher  was  describing  the  lost  sinner's  condition, 
his  exposedness  to  death  and  hell;  and  then  he  pre- 
sented the  offers  of  mercy,  showing  that  Jesus  died  for 
all,  and  the  worst  of  sinners  might  repent  and  find  par- 
don. It  was  a  message  of  mercy  to  that  poor,  forlorn, 
and  ruined  soul.  It  turned  his  feet  from  the  way  of 
death  to  the  path  of  life.  He  returned  to  his  place,  and 
falling  upon  his  knees,  he  cried  for  mercy.  God  heard 
the  poor  Ethiopian's  prayer.  While  piteously  he  pleaded 
for  mercy,  salvation  came  to  his  heart.  At  the  next 
meeting  he  was  found  at  the  church,  sitting  in  the  back 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  389 

corner,  but  clothed  in  his  right  mind.  When  the  invi- 
tation was  given  to  persons  to  join  the  Church,  he  went 
forward,  and  the  preacher  received  him  and  instructed 
him  more  perfectly  in  the  way  of  the  Lord.  He  had 
received  some  education,  and  was  enabled  to  read  and 
write.  Like  most  of  his  brethren  of  the  African  race, 
he  was  an  admirable  singer,  possessing  a  voice  of  unusual 
sweetness  and  power,  and  he  took  great  delight  in  sing- 
ing the  hymns  and  spiritual  songs  of  the  Church.  Some 
time  after  his  conversion  he  became  greatly  exercised  on 
the  subject  of  preaching.  So  intense  and  all-absorbing 
became  his  thoughts  on  the  subject  that  he  could  neither 
eat  nor  sleep.  He  was  continually  engaged  in  reading  the 
Bible  and  in  prayer  for  weeks.  His  long  fasting  and 
almost  ceaseless  vigils  were  broken  by  a  vision  which  he 
told  us  came  to  him  one  night.  Whether  awake  or 
asleep  he  could  not  say;  but  in  the  transition  he  heard 
a  voice  distinctly  saying,  "You  must  go  in  a  north- 
westerly direction,  to  the  Indian  nation,  and  tell  the 
savage  tribes  of  Christ,  your  Savior."  He  had  this  vis- 
ion for  three  successive  nights. 

It  is  said  that  dreams  indicate  the  mind's  anxieties, 
and  it  is  highly  probable  that  the  things  which  engross 
the  mind  by  day  continue  to  occupy  it  by  night — at  least 
so  far  as  to  give  a  bent  and  coloiing  to  the  thoughts 
when  the  outward  senses  are  locked  up  in  sleep.  This 
being  the  case,  then,  from  the  fact  that  Stewart  was 
greatly  exercised  on  the  subject  of  preaching,  we  may 
be  led  to  infer  that  his  vision,  or  dream,  was  but  a  part 
of  his  call  to  preach  the  Gospel.  The  only  thing  won- 
derful and  extraordinary  in  the  dream,  is  the  specific 
nature  of  the  call,  designating,  as  Paul's  vision  of  the 
man  of  Macedonia,  the  very  place  to  which  he  should  go. 
Now  that  revelation  is  exhausted,  and  the  Bible  is  to 
be  regarded  as  a  finality  on  all  subjects  pertaining  to 
33* 


390  SKETCHES   OF 

belief  and  duty,  we  have  but  little  faith  in  dreams,  01 
"spiritual  communications/'  so  called,  as  constituting 
any  part  of  the  rule  of  faith  or  practice.  The  sure 
"word  of  prophecy,"  which  God  has  given  us,  will,  if 
understood  and  followed,  guide  us  into  all  the  ways  of 
truth  and  righteousness. 

Stewart  was  poor,  and  destitute  of  friends,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Methodists,  who  received  and  treated 
him  as  a  brother;  but,  even  among  his  brethren,  who 
could  he  get,  by  any  possibility,  to  believe  that  he  was 
called  to  go  on  a  mission  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the 
Indians  ?  Firmly  impressed,  however,  with  the  belief 
that  a  dispensation  of  the  Gospel  had  been  committed 
to  him,  he  made  all  the  preparation  his  circumstances 
would  allow,  and,  with  his  Bible  and  hymn-book,  started 
out,  not  knowing  whither  he  was  going,  save  that  the 
vision  directed  him  to  the  north-west.  Abraham,  when 
called  from  the  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  had,  doubtless,  much 
greater  faith  when  he  entered  upon  his  journey  than  this 
sable  son  of  Ham ;  but  there  was  not  less  uncertainty  in 
regard  to  the  unknown  destination.  Stewart  continued 
his  travels ;  and  hearing  of  the  Delaware  Indians,  on  the 
Muskingum,  he  directed  his  course  thitherward.  When 
he  arrived  among  them  he  commenced  singing,  and  pray- 
ing, and  exhorting,  but  it  was  in  an  unknown  tongue. 
The  peaceful  Indians  gazed  upon  the  dark  stranger  with 
silent  wonder,  but  were  not  moved  by  his  tears  and  en- 
treaties. Being  impressed  that  this  was  not  the  tribe 
to  which  he  was  called  he  hurried  on.  After  a  fatiguing 
journey,  he  arrived  at  Pipetown,  on  the  Sandusky  river, 
where  he  found  a  large  concourse  of  Indians  engaged  in 
feasting  and  dancing.  They  were  in  the  very  midst  of 
their  wildest  mirth  and  revelry  when  he  appeared  among 
them.  Being  a  dark  mulatto,  he  attracted  their  atten- 
tion, and  they  gathered  around  him,  and  asked  him  to 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  391 

drink  of  their  fire-water ;  but  lie  too  well  knew  the  fatal 
effects  of  the  deadly  draught  to  allow  it  to  pass  his  lips. 
At  this  refusal  the  Indians  became  angry,  and  were  be- 
ginning to  manifest  signs  of  hostility;  but  he  commenced, 
in  ft  clear,  melodious  voice,  singing  one  of  the  songs  of 
Zion.  Its  strains  rose  above  the  din  and  uproar  of  the 
multitude.  They  were  strangely  enchanting,  and,  like 
the  voice  of  Jesus  on  stormy  Galilee,  they  calmed  the 
tumult  of  passion  which  threatened  his  destruction. 
The  war-dance  and  song  ceased.  The  multitude  gath- 
ered around  him,  and  hung  upon  his  lips  in  breathless 
silence,  as  if  enchanted  by  the  sound.  When  he  ceased 
he  fell  upon  his  knees,  and  poured  out  his  heart  to  God 
in  prayer  for  their  salvation.  There  stood  by  him  an 
old  chief,  who  understood  his  language,  and  as  word 
after  word  escaped  his  lips  he  interpreted  it  to  the  listen- 
ing hundreds.  When  his  prayer  was  ended,  he  arose 
and  exhorted  them  to  turn  away  from  their  drunken 
revelry,  and  Indian  ceremonies,  to  the  worship  of  the 
true  and  living  God,  assuring  them  that  if  they  con- 
tinued in  this  course  they  would  be  forever  lost.  As  the 
earnest  entreaties  of  the  colored  preacher  were  commu- 
nicated by  the  old  chief,  many  were  deeply  impressed 
with  the  truths  which  he  uttered,  and  the  work  of  God 
might  have  then  and  there  at  once  commenced,  but  for 
the  interference  of  Captain  Pipe,  the  head  chief,  who  be- 
came violently  enraged,  and,  brandishing  his  tomahawk, 
swore  if  he  did  not  cease  he  would  kill  him  on  the  spot. 
John  ceased  his  exhortation,  and  turned,  with  a  sorrow- 
ful heart,  away.  Being  ordered  to  leave  immediately, 
on  pain  of  death,  he  again  started  out  upon  his  journey, 
and,  guided  by  an  invisible  hand,  he  went  to  Upper 
Sandusky.  Here  he  found  another  band  of  Indians,  and 
among  them  a  black  man  named  Jonathan  Painter,  who 
had  been  taken  prisoner  by  them  at  the  mouth  of  the 


392  SKETCHES    OF 

Big  Kanawha,  in  Virginia,  when  a  boy.  He  was  a  good 
interpreter.  With  this  man  he  soon  became  intimate, 
and  procuring  his  services,  he  went  with  him  to  attend 
a  great  Indian  festival.  When  he  arrived  he  begged 
permission  to  speak  to  the  assembled  multitude;  but 
they  paid  little  attention  to  his  request.  He  still  pleaded 
for  the  privilege ;  for  his  heart  burned  to  tell  the  wan- 
dering savage  of  Jesus  and  his  love.  After  much 
entreaty,  through  his  interpreter,  they  agreed  to  let  him 
speak  to  them  the  next  day.  The  time  and  place  of 
meeting  were  fixed,  and  when  Stewart,  with  his  interpret- 
er, appeared,  how  was  his  heart  chilled  and  discouraged 
only  to  find  one  old  Indian,  by  the  name  of  Big  Tree, 
and  an  old  Indian  woman,  called  Mary!  To  these,  how- 
ever, he  preached  Christ  and  the  resurrection.  God 
attended  his  word;  and  though  small  and  feeble  was  the 
beginning,  yet  the  labors  of  Stewart  were  blessed.  He 
continued  to  hold  forth,  as  opportunity  favored,  the  word 
of  life  to  the  Wyandotts,  and  as  the  product  of  so  feeble 
an  instrumentality,  the  mission  to  the  Wyandotts  was 
established  by  the  Church,  an  account  of  which  may  be 
found  in  our  History. 

We  now  resume  our  sketch  of  brother  Lindsey,  through 
whose  instrumentality  this  remarkable  man,  in  some 
respects,  was  brought  to  God.  After  finishing  his  term 
on  the  Marietta  circuit  he  was  sent  to  the  Salt  River 
district,  in  Kentucky,  where  he  continued  for  two  years, 
laboring  with  his  accustomed  zeal  and  usefulness.  From 
this  district  he  was  sent  to  the  Green  River  district, 
which  he  traveled  three  years;  thence  to  the  Kentucky 
district,  which  he  traveled  four  years.  After  this  he 
was  returned  to  the  Salt  River  district,  where  he  remained 
three  years,  and  at  the  expiration  thereof  he  came  over 
to  the  Ohio  district,  which  he  traveled  one  year,  when 
ho  was  removed  to  the  Cumberland  district.  Here  he 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  393 

continued  for  three  years  in  labors  more  abundant.  His 
next  appointment  was  Shelbyville,  and  tbe  Brick  Chapel. 
Thus  we  trace  this  indefatigable  man  from  circuit  to 
district,  from  district  to  district  and  station,  laboring  on 
with  a  tireless  zeal  in  the  service  of  his  Master.  Could 
a  history  of  the  fourteen  years,  in  which  he  traveled  over 
vast  districts  of  country  as  presiding  elder,  be  written 
out,  how  full  would  it  be  of  stirring  adventures  and 
thrilling  incidents;  but  the  memory  of  them  has  per- 
ished with  the  departure  of  the  man,  and  we  can  only 
give  a  rapid  outline  of  the  fields  which  he  has  succes- 
sively and  successfully  cultivated. 

We  have  already  brought  our  readers  down  to  the 
last  appointment,  and  it  only  remains  for  us  to  say, 
that  while  actively  engaged  in  this  field  of  labor  he 
was  arrested  by  that  fell  disease,  the  cholera,  which 
garnered  such  precious  fruits  for  the  tomb  from  among 
the  ministry,  and  which,  in  July,  1833,  terminated  his 
career  on  earth,  and  ushered  him  to  heaven.  He  was 
a  man  of  stout,  athletic  frame,  black  hair,  a  keen,  dark 
eye,  overarched  by  heavy  brows.  He  was  much  given 
to  despondency,  which  would  occasionally  cast  a  gloom 
upon  his  countenance,  that  at  times  would  make  his 
appearance  rather  forbidding;  but  under  all  there  was 
a  large  heart  full  of  tender  sympathies.  When  his 
mind  was  not  overcast,  and  in  heaviness  through  mani- 
fold temptations,  his  bright,  happy  spirit  would  make 
sunshine  all  around  him.  Some  men  can  never  be  fully 
known  in  this  life,  however  transparent  their  character. 
There  is  a  deep,  inner  life  that  lies  far  down  beyond  the 
ken  of  mortals,  which  the  tongue,  if  it  could,  will  not 
reveal.  That  life  can  only  be  known  hereafter.  Till 
then  we  must  wait  for  the  solution  of  difficulties,  incon- 
sistencies, and  mysteries,  which  here  we  shall  never 
know.  Lindsey  was  a  powerful  preacher,  a  faithful 


394  SKETCHES    OF 

pastor,  and  a  great  terror  to  evil-doers.  He  abounded 
in  zeal  and  good  works,  and  thousands  will  bless  God 
in  the  day  of  eternity,  that  to  him  was  committed  a 
dispensation  of  the  Gospel. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  395 

:     •-'   ' 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

THE    DUTCHMAN    8    EXPERIENCE. 

WHEN  we  were  traveling  the  Cross  Creek  circuit,  in 
1815,  in  a  region  9f  country  which  was  mostly  settled  by 
German  Lutherans,  and  not  much  regard  paid  to  the  Sab- 
bath, or  any  kind  of  religion,  there  lived  a  German  by 
the  name  of  Gost.  He  was  one  of  the  principal  men  of 
the  neighborhood,  and  had  great  influence  among  his 
German  friends.  At  one  of  our  love-feasts  we  heard  him 
relate  his  experience,  and  though  it  was  in  very  broken 
English,  yet  it  was  told  with  an  unction  and  a  power 
which  melted  all  hearts,  and  which  thrilled  and  interested 
us  so  much  that  we  have  not  forgotten  it  to  this  day. 

There  is  something  peculiar  in  the  German  mind  and 
character  which  shows  itself,  perhaps,  more  strikingly  in 
regard  to  the  subject  of  religion  than  any  thing  else.  It 
seems  that  in  whatever  enterprise  a  German  embarks,  it 
engrosses  his  entire  energies,  and  when  once  fully  com- 
mitted on  any  subject,  he  adheres  to  it  with  an  energy, 
zeal,  and  perseverance  worthy  of  all  praise.  Staid  and 
sober  as  he  may  appear,  he  nevertheless  has  the  excita- 
bility of  a  Frenchman  without  his  mercurial  nature. 
Luther  was  a  noble  type  of  the  Teutonic  mind,  and  ex- 
hibited the  different  characteristics  of  which  we  have 
spoken,  when  he  said  he  would  go  to  the  Diet  of  Worms 
if  there  were  as  many  devils  in  his  way  as  there  were 
tiles  on  the  roofs  of  the  houses ;  and  when,  in  his  ex- 
cited imagination,  he  saw  the  devil  before  him  in  his 
study,  and  threw  his  inkstand  at  him;  and,  also,  when 


396  SKETCHES    OF 

on  another  occasion,  he  was  arraigned  before  an  ecclesi- 
astical council  for  heresy,  and  threatened  with  punish- 
ment if  he  did  not  retract,  he  said,  "Here  I  stand,  God 
help  !''  One  has  said,  "  Get  a  German  once  converted, 
and  there  is  little  danger  of  his  refusing  to  take  up  his 
cross,  or  turning  back  to  the  beggarly  elements  of  the 
world."  They  seem  to  carry  out  more  fully  Mr.  Wesley's 
idea  of  Methodism  than  even  the  English  brethren  them- 
selves. When  they  sing,  "  they  sing  lustily ;"  when 
they  pray,  they  pray  with  all  their  might ;  when  they 
speak  in  class  meeting  or  love-feast,  they  come  right  to 
the  point  of  Christian  experience  without  any  circumlo- 
cution. Such  was  the  case  with  our  good  German  brother 
whose  experience  we  are  going  to  relate. 

Shortly  after  the  speaking  exercises  commenced,  he 
arose  and  said,  "Mine  dear  bruders,  ven  I  comes  to  dis 
blace  dare  vas  nobody  here.  Den  after,  mine  freins  dey 
comes  too,  and  ve  did  comes  along  very  goot,  as  ve  dot. 
Ve  did  drink  viskey,  and  frolic,  and  dance,  and  ve  all  dot 
it  vas  wery  nice ;  but  binebys  der  comes  along  into  de 
neighborhoot  a  Metodis  breacher  by  de  name  of  Jo. 
Shackelford,  and  he  breaches  and  breaches,  and  brays  and 
brays,  as  you  never  see  de  like  in  all  your  lives.  He  says, 
•'You  beeples  all  goes  to  hell  unless  you  git  conwerted,  and 
be  saved  from  your  zins.'  Now,  veil  den,  de  beeples  be- 
gins to  dink  zeriously  on  dis  matter,  and  dey  say  ve  must 
do  better,  or,  sure  enough,  de  devil  vill  git  us  shust  as  he 
says.  Den  dey  gits  Christen,  and  begins  to  bray;  and 
dey  vails  down,  and  brays,  and  croans,  and  hollers,  and  I 
says  to  my  beeples,  Dis  is  de  devil;  and  it  goes  on  till  it 
comes  to  my  neighbor  Honnes.  Veil,  I  does  not  go,  and 
my  vife  and  gals  does  not  go,  because  I  said  it  vas  de 
devil.  Veil,  however,  it  gomes  so  near  by  mine  house,  I 
says  I  vill  go  and  see  vat  is  dis  ting  vat  makes  de  beeples 
so  crazy.  So  von  night  I  goes  to  Honnes's  to  see  de 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  397 

brayer  meeting,  and  I  seta  down  and  sees  do  beeples  come 
in,  and  dey  all  looks  shust  like  dey  used  to  do,  and  I  dot 
it  vas  all  veil ;  but  dey  soon  begins  to  zing  and  bray,  and 
I  dot  dis  is  all  rigbt.  Den  some  pegins  to  croan,  and 
vails  down;  and  I  says,  'Dis  is  de  devil,  and  I  vill  sbust 
go  home ;'  but  ven  I  vent  to  rise  up  I  could  not,  vor  I  vas 
fast  to  de  bench.  Den  I  vas  skeered,  and  I  said,  'Dis 
is  de  devil  sure  enough.'  I  looked  round,  and  I  dot  de 
door  vas  growed  up,  and  I  vas  fast  enough.  Veil,  veil, 
den  I  say,  '  Mine  Got,  de  devil  vill  git  me  now,  by  sure !' 
I  looked  more  for  de  door,  and  bresently  I  sees  him,  and 
I  makes  von  spring  and  out  I  goes  headforemost.  Den  I 
gits  up,  and  runs  mit  all  my  might  till  I  comes  to  mine 
fence ;  and  ven  I  goes  to  git  over  I  comes  down  smack 
upon  my  pack,  and  now  I  says,  'De  devil  vill  git  me,  py 
sure!'  I  lays  dare  for  some  time;  den  I  gits  up,  and 
climes  de  fence,  and  goes  to  mine  house,  and  dot  I  would 
shust  go  to  bed  mitout  making  any  noise ;  but  shust  as  I 
vas  gittin  in  ped  smack  down  I  comes  on  mine  pack  upon 
de  floor;  and  Madalana,  mine  vife,  did  shump  out  of  de 
ped,  and  did  schream;  and  Petts  and  Kate — dat  ish 
my  two  gals — dey  did  shump  up  and  schream  and  holler, 
and  dare  I  lays,  and  I  says,  '0,  mine  Got,  tis  ish  te 
devil!'  Madalana  says,  'No  matter  for  you;  it  shust 
serves  you  right ;  you  vould  go,  and  now  you  prings  de 
devil  home  mit  you  to  your  own  house/  Petts  and  Kate 
dey  both  cries,  and  mine  vife  she  scolds,  and  de  devil 
he  shakes  me  over  de  hells,  and  all  my  sins  shust  comes 
up  to  mine  eyes,  and  I  says,  '  0,  mine  Got,  save  me !' 
After  a  vile  I  goes  to  ped,  but  I  not  sleeps.  I  says,  '  O 
mine  Got,  mine  Got,  vat  vill  become  of  me!'  Shust  at 
daylight  I  gits  up  and  goes  down  to  my  parn,  and  gits 
under  de  boss-trough,  and  smack  I  comes  on  mine  pack 
again.  Den  I  cries,  mit  all  my  might,  '0,  mine  Got, 
mine  Got,  have  mercy  upon  me !'  I  dot  I  vas  goin  to  de 
34 


'v. 


398  SKETCHES    OF 

hells.  Shust  den  sorneting  say  to  me,  <Di  sins  pe  all  vor- 
gifen.'  Den  someting  conies  down  all  over  me  at  my 
head,  shust  like  honey,  and  I  opens  mine  mout  shust  so 
vide  ash  I  can;  but  it  filled  so  full  it  run  over,  and  den 
0,  I  vas  so  happy  as  never  I  vas  before  in  all  my  life !  I 
did  shump  like  a  deer,  and  I  hollered,  '  Glory,  glory  to 
mine  Got !'  rait  all  my  might.  Mine  hosses  dey  did  veel 
round  and  shnorted,  and  I  did  veel  round  too,  and  hol- 
lered glory,  and  I  did  not  know  dem,  and  dey  did  not 
know  me.  Presently  I  saw  my  gray  hoss,  Fob,  and  I 
snatched  him  round  de  neck,  and  he  did  veel  round,  and 
I  hollered,  '  Glory,  glory,  and  bless  de  Lort!'  I  love  dish 
hoss  unto  dis  day  so  petter  than  any.  I  now  ish  on  mine 
vay  to  de  himmels,  and  dare  I  vill  bless  Got  for  his  pring- 
ing  me  down  on  mine  pack,  and  for  mine  vife  and  mine 
gals ;  for  dey  now  goes  mit  me  to  glory  j  so,  mine  brud- 
ers,  ve  vill  all  bineby  meet  in  dat  goot  vorld,  to  braise  de 
Lort  forever  and  ever." 


WESTEttN    METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

JOHN      STRANGE. 

THIS  talented  and  useful  preacher  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia. He  was  born  on  the  15th  day  of  November,  1789, 
and  when  quite  a  boy  emigrated  to  the  wilds  of  Ohio. 
Here,  under  the  ministrations  of  the  early  pioneer  fath- 
ers of  Methodism,  he  embraced  the  religion  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  It  was  not  long  after  his  conversion  that  his 
talents  and  piety  were  exhibited  to  such  a  degree  as  to 
convince  the  Church,  in  connection  with  his  own  deep 
and  powerful  impressions,  that  he  was  called  of  God  to 
enter  the  ministry.  In  the  year  1810  he  commenced  his 
itinerant  career  under  the  venerable  J^ujnn.-  His  first 
circuit  was  Wills  Creek,  in  the  wilds  of  Muskingum, 
where  he  labored,  with  all  the  zeal  and  fire  of  youth,  in 
proclaiming  the  Gospel  to  sinners.  The  next  appoint- 
ment which  he  received  was  Cincinnati,  as  the  colleague 
of  the  venerable  Burke.  He  traveled  successively  White- 
water, Oxford,  Lawrenceburg,  Whiteoak,  Mad  River,  and 
Union  circuits,  and  Charlcstown  and  Indianapolis  dis- 
tricts. His  excessive  labors,  however,  proved  too  much 
for  his  constitution,  and  during  his  whole  ministerial  life, 
with  but  slight  intervals  of  rest,  he  was  in  abundant 
labors ; 

"For  Jesus  day  and  night  employed, 
His  heritage  he  toiled  to  clear." 

He  was  regarded,  both  in  Ohio  and  Indiana — in  the 
latter  of  which  states  he  spent  the  close  of  his  life — as  a 


4:00  SKETCHES    OF 

faithful,  eloquent,  and  beloved  minister  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Numerous  seals  to  his  ministry,  which  will,  doubtless,  be 
stars  in  the  crown  of  his  rejoicing  in  the  day  of  eternity, 
are  to  be  found  all  over  the  west.  On  the  second  of  De- 
cember, 1834,  in  the  forty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  the 
twenty-third  of  his  ministry,  he  was  called  away  by  the 
gentle  summons  of  his  Master,  to  that  world  where  labor 
is  exchanged  for  rest,  and  prayer  is  lost  in  praise. 

One  who  was  entirely  ignorant  of  the  life  of  a  preacher 
wrote  the  following :  "  How  full  of  beauty,  how  desirable 
and  picturesque,  is  the  life  of  a  preacher,  especially  in 
the  country !  Religion  and  poetry  dwell  with  him  like 
twin  sisters,  and  his  thoughts,  when  turned  aside  from 
heaven,  rest  on  all  that  is  most  beautiful  on  earth."  The 
truth  is,  the  enjoyment  of  a  faithful  minister  does  not 
consist  in  his  repose.  When  but  a  single  glance  upon 
the  exhausting  demands  which  are  made  upon  his  mind 
and  body — demands  under  which  many  sink  to  an  un- 
timely grave;  when  we  think  of  his  exposure  to  wounds 
upon  his  feelings  through  all  his  every-day  duties — wounds 
which  he  must  bear  in  silence,  or  be  liable  to  be  charged 
with  having  a  wrong  spirit — his  being  cut  off  from  the 
common  resources  of  men,  and  made  dependent  for  a 
support  upon  those  for  whom  he  labors,  and  thereby  the 
selfishness  of  men  is  armed  against  him ;  add  to  all  this 
that  the  sorrows  of  others  lay  a  tax  upon  his  sympathies, 
and  compel  him  to  bear  a  part;  when  all  these  are  con- 
sidered, this  picture  will  be  regarded  as  extremely  fanci- 
ful. Whoever  enters  the  ministry  for  the  poetry  of  it 
will  find  the  thorn  with  the  rose.  A  thistle,  when  seen 
in  the  far-off  distance,  may  contribute  as  much  as  the 
lily  to  beautify  the  landscape ;  but  when  it  is  approached 
and  grasped  its  thorns  are  felt.  So  it  is  with  the  preach- 
er's life  to  those  who  look  at  it  from  a  distance.  His 
position  may  be  regarded  as  the  abode  of  poetry  and 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  401 

Elysian  sweets ;  but  an  experience  of  short  duration  will 
soon  correct  the  error,  and  show  how  toilsome,  and 
often  unthankful,  is  his  profession.  To  the  Methodist 
preacher  it  is  hard  service  and  poor  fare,  so  far  as  this 
world  is  concerned ;  and  were  it  not  for  the  comfortable 
reflection  that  the  faithful  shall  be  crowned  with  life, 
very  few  would  enter  the  ranks  of  the  itinerancy  for  the 
poetry  connected  with  it. 

A  beautiful  tribute  from  the  pen  of  one  of  Indiana's 
most  gifted  daughters,  with  which  we  shall  finish  our 
sketch,  will  give  the  reader  a  better  idea  of  the  talents 
and  character  of  the  beloved  Strange  than  any  thing  we 
could  say  : 

"Among  the  heralds  of  salvation  to  a  dying  world,  who 
have  now  sat  down  in  our  Father's  kingdom,  there  is  no 
name  that  comes  up  from  the  dim  remembrance  of  the 
past,  with  a  holier  and  more  endearing  thrill,  than  that 
of  John  Strange.  In  the  morning  of  life  he  heeded  not 
the  siren  voice  that  would  have  lured  him  to  the  flower- 
wreathed  paths  of  pleasure,  or  pointed  out  to  him  the 
high  seats  of  what  men  call  honorable  renown ;  but 
trampling  on  the  bright  hopes  of  earthly  greatness, 
which  are  ever  busy  in  the  heart  of  youth,  he  took  up 
and  bore  to  the  end  of  his  course  the  cross  of  the  meek 
and  lowly  Savior.  He  was  one  of  those  men  whom  the 
Lord  saw  fit,  in  his  wisdom,  to  endow  with  every  Chris- 
tian grace,  and  set  apart  to  carry  the  glad  tidings  of  sal- 
vation to  the  humble  homes  of  the  western  pioneers ;  and 
through  many  a  night,  in  the  dark  and  lonely  wilderness, 
he  pillowed  his  weary  head  on  the  green  earth  without  a 
covering,  save  the  blue  canopy  of  heaven.  There  was  no 
privation,  discouragement,  or  danger  that  could  induce  him 
to  forsake  his  Master's  work ;  for  he  was  truly  a  man  that 
bore  about  with  him,  in  his  own  body,  the  marks  of  the 
Lord  Jesus. 

34* 


402  SKETCHES    OF 

"When  he  came  to  Indiana  it  was  comparatively  a  wil- 
derness, and  there  were  many  parts  where  the  story  of 
the  cross  was  but  seldom  told.  His  fervent  piety,  supe- 
rior talents,  and  zeal  for  the  souls  of  dying  men,  soon 
made  him  a  home  at  every  hearth,  and  the  sound  of  his 
name  brought  a  thrill  to  every  heart  that  loved  the  cause 
of  the  Redeemer;  and  0,  it  is  a  glorious  thought,  that 
while  his  immortal  part  is  worshiping  with  the  blood- 
washed  throng  around  the  eternal  throne,  his  name  is 
treasured  up 

'  Amid  fond  Memory's  sacred  things,' 

in  many  hearts  that  will  one  day  be  stars  in  his  crown  of 
rejoicing. 

'  He,  mixing  with  the  brilliant  hosts  above, 
Recounts  the  wonders  of  redeeming  love ; 
While  list'ning  angels  hear  with  sweet  surprise, 
And  gusts  of  alleluiahs  ring  the  skies.' 

"Perhaps  I  can  not  better  give  an  idea  of  his  manner 
of  preaching  than  by  giving  an  instance.  It  was  under- 
stood, in  a  remote  part  of  Indiana,  where  the  Gospel  was 
but  seldom  heard,  that  on  a  certain  day  John  Strange 
would  preach.  It  was  at  once  set  down  as  an  era  among 
the  people;  and,  on  the  day  appointed,  they,  with  almost 
one  accord,  assembled  at  the  place,  which  was  the  temple 
of  God's  own  building,  the  green,  unbroken  forest.  Of 
the  hundreds  there  collected,  some  had  come  to  worship 
that  God  whom  they  had  learned  to  love  in  the  far-off 
land  of  their  nativity,  which  they  had  exchanged  for  the 
wilderness,  where  the  sound  of  the  church-going  bell 
might  never  salute  them  again ;  and  some  were  there 
through  mere  curiosity,  many  of  whom,  perhaps,  had 
never  heard  a  sermon  in  their  lives.  Expectation  was  on 
tiptoe ;  and  it  was  evident,  from  the  restless  movements 
a,nd  anxious  whisperings  of  the  groups  collected  apart 
from  the  crowd,  that  something  out  of  the  common  order 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  403 

was  about  to  take  place.  All  eyes  were  turned  in  one 
direction  for  a  moment — the  whispered  words,  'The 
preacher's  come,'  were  heard,  and  all  was  silent  as  the 
day  dawn  of  creation.  He  ascended  the  rude  stand  pre- 
pared for  him,  and  sang  a  hymn,  in  a  voice  whose  deep 
pathos  went  down  into  the  heart,  and  seldom  failed  to 
cause  some  chord  to  vibrate  there;  then,  as  he  kneeled 
beneath  the  bright  blue  sky,  and  poured  his  spirit  out 
before  the  God  that  gave  it,  in  behalf  of  those  to  whom 
he  was  sent  with  the  words  of  everlasting  life,  the  smoth- 
ered sobs  and  flowing  tears  of  the  assembly,  evinced  the 
faith  and  fervor  of  that  prayer.  He  then  pointed  out 
clearly  the  way  of  salvation  through  the  blood  of  a  cruci- 
fied Redeemer,  and  besought  those  who  had  found  the 
pearl  of  great  price  to  hold  fast  their  confidence,  till  they 
had  conquered  death,  their  last  enemy,  and  meet  Him  all 
glorious  within  the  light  of  eternity,  where  they  should 
enter  upon  that  inheritance  prepared  for  them  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world.  'But  my  friends,'  said  he, 
'when  the  angel  shall  stand  with  one  foot  upon  the  sea 
and  the  other  upon  the  land,  and  shall  swear  by  Him 
that  liveth  forever  and  ever  that  time  shall  be  no  more ; 
when  the  earth  shall  pass  away  and  the  heavens  be  rolled 
up  as  a  scroll;  when  the  thrones  are  set,  and  the  dead, 
small  and  great,  shall  stand  before  the  Lord,  is  there  one 
here  whose  name  shall  not  be  found  written  in  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life  ?  Forbid  it,  Lord !  If  there  is  one  here 
who  has  never  tasted  of  the  joys  of  salvation,  I  warn  him 
by  the  terrors  of  that  day  to  flee  the  wrath  to  come,  and 
to  do  it  now ;  for  now  is  the  accepted  time ;  behold !  now 
is  the  day  of  salvation ;  choose  ye  this  day  whom  ye  will 
serve ;  and  O,  be  careful  to  make  a  wise  choice !  Jesus 
has  paid  your  debt,  and  now  stands  ready  to  receive  you. 
Will  you  believe  it,  and  enlist  under  the  blood-stained 
banner  of  the  cross,  or  will  you  put  it  off  to  a  more  con- 


404  SKETCHES    OF 

venient  season  ?  Will  you  spend  a  never-ending  eternity 
in  the  dark  caverns  of  irremediable  woe,  or  be  ushered 
into  the  New  Jerusalem  with  songs  and  everlasting  joy 
upon  your  heads,  when  the  Lord  shall  come  to  make  up 
his  jewels?'  His  manner  and  shrill,  soul-searching  voice 
had  raised  with  his  feelings  till  they  seemed  to  have 
reached  their  climax,  and  with  his  pale,  upturned  face 
and  streaming  eyes,  he  stood  for  a  moment  as  if  wrapped 
in  the  presence  of  the  Lord ;  and  then,  as  if  the  heavens 
were  opened  to  his  steadfast  gaze,  he  exclaimed,  with 
startling  energy,  'Glory,  glory,  glory  be  to  God,  who 
giveth  us  the  victory!'  It  seemed  as  if  the  enchained 
attention  of  the  audience  was  broken  up  by  an  electric 
shock,  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  seemed  to  fasten  on 
every  heart  like  cloven  tongues  of  fire,  and  glory,  glory, 
glory  was  echoed  back  from  every  part  of  that  worshiping 
assembly.  Till  the  tale  of  time  is  told  on  the  morning 
of  eternity  the  effect  of  that  sermon  can  never  be  known. 
"I  saw  him  shortly  before  he  died,  some  ten  years 
since,  and  never  did  I  feel  more  sensibly  the  force  of 
those  beautiful  lines  of  Dr.  Young, 

'  The  chamber  where  the  good  man  meets  his  fate, 
Is  privileged  beyond  the  common  walk 
Of  virtuous  life — quite  on  the  verge  of  heaven.' 

He  was  weak  and  very  pale ;  but  there  was  a  serenity  in 
his  countenance  that  evinced  to  the  beholder  how  easy  it 
was  for  the  Christian  to  die;  and  when  he  spoke  of  his 
departure  hence,  there  was  a  gleam  of  glory  upon  his 
face  that  told  there  was  a  heaven  in  his  heart.  He  had 
an  interesting  family,  and  when  he  spoke  to  them  he 
remarked,  'I  love  my  children,  and  would  be  glad  to 
leave  them  in  better  circumstances ;  for  I  have  made  no 
provision  for  them ;  but  that  God  into  whose  hands  I 
resign  them  has  promised  to  provide.  I  have  not  labored 
for  earthly  treasure ;  but  I  have  an  inheritance  up  yonder, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  405 

and  I  expect  to  meet  them  all  at  God's  right  hand.'  Soon 
after  this  ho  entered  upon  that  rest  prepared  for  those 
that  love  and  serve  the  Lord.  His  remains  were  depos- 
ited in  the  graveyard  at  Indianapolis  by  hundreds  of 
mourning  friends,  who  had  known  him  long  and  loved 
him  well;  and  often  are  the  bright  flowers  and  green 
grass  above  that  hallowed  spot  wet  with  the  tears  of 
those  he  was  instrumental  in  bringing  from  nature's 
darkness  to  the  marvelous  light  of  God's  dear  children. 
There  are  few  men  who  were  more  devoted,  or  spent  their 
lives  with  an  eye  more  single  to  the  glory  of  God;  few 
there  certainly  are  who  have  done  more  good,  were  more 
revered,  or  will  be  longer  remembered  than  John  Strange." 


406  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

WILLIAM     P .    F  I  N  L  E  Y  . 

WILLIAM  P.  was  the  third  son  of  the  Rev.  Robert  W. 
Finley.  He  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  in  the  year  1785, 
and  emigrated  with  his  parents  to  Kentucky.  From 
childhood  he  was  remarkably  inquisitive  and  talkative, 
possessing  in  a  high  degree  those  social  qualities  which 
rendered  him  companionable,  as  well  as  a  nature  full  of 
wit  and  humor,  which  would  gather  around  him  all  the 
young  people  of  the  neighborhood.  He  was  rapid  in 
thought  and  quick  at  repartee,  yet  full  of  benevolence 
and  kindness.  In  addition  to  his  genial  nature  and 
humorous  disposition,  he  possessed  a  remarkable  aptitude 
for  learning.  While  at  school  studying  Latin,  Greek, 
Mathematics,  and  other  branches  of  learning,  he  seemed 
to  get  his  lessons  almost  by  intuition.  While  others  of 
his  class  would  labor  and  grow  weary  over  a  hard  sen- 
tence, or  a  difficult  proposition,  with  him  it  seemed  that 
it  was  only  to  look  and  receive.  He  always  led  his  class, 
being  perfect  in  all  his  recitations.  What  he  received  so 
readily  he  was  disposed  as  lavishingly  to  bestow  upon 
others;  and  hence,  when  other  young  men,  during  the 
winter  seasons,  would  be  out  hunting  and  sporting,  he 
would  gather  together  a  group  of  the  neighbors'  children 
in  some  lonesome  log  school-house,  and  there  impart  to 
them  the  rudiments  of  an  education.  Thus  he  spent  his 
years  till  he  arrived  at  manhood,  when  he  married  a 
most  estimable  woman,  with  whom  he  lived  most  happily 
till  the  day  of  his  death. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  407 

Nothing  very  remarkable  occurred  in  his  history,  till 
the  year  1808,  when,  with  his  wife,  on  their  way  to  a 
Christmas  frolic,  he  stopped  at  the  house  of  the  writer  of 
this  sketch  and  heard  a  recital  of  his  conversion,  con- 
nected with  an  earnest  exhortation  and  appeal,  which 
awakened  both  to  a  sense  of  their  lost  condition ;  and  in- 
stead of  going  to  join  in  the  scenes  of  mirth  and  revelry, 
they  remained  to  weep  and  pray.  They  returned  home 
and  commenced  seeking  the  Lord  with  penitential  hearts, 
and  God  heard  their  prayer.  One  night,  in  the  deep  soli- 
tude of  the  forest,  while  William  was  prostrate  on  the 
ground  crying  for  mercy,  the  blessing  of  pardon  and  sal- 
vation came  to  his  soul  with  such  power,  that  his  soul 
was  set  at  perfect  liberty,  and  the  peace  of  heaven  flowed 
into  his  heart  like  a  river. 

His  conversion  wrought  the  most  wonderful  change, 
not  only  in  his  habits  of  life,  but  in  his  disposition.  He 
seemed  to  have  lost  all  that  conviviality  of  mind  and  flow 
of  spirits  which  so  strongly  characterized  him,  and  be- 
came one  of  the  most  sedate  and  sober  men  we  ever 
knew.  Great  trials  awaited  him.  He  was  constantly 
impressed  with  the  conviction  that  God  had  called  him 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  he  was  strongly  impressed  with 
the  belief  that  if  he  did  not  yield  to  the  call  he  must 
perish,  notwithstanding  all  the  Lord  had  done  for  his 
soul.  Such  were  the  deep,  agonizing  struggles  of  his  soul, 
that  his  mind  gave  evidence  to  all  of  the  storm  within. 
Thus  he  continued  almost  distracted,  till  the  Church  of 
God,  which  is  the  best  judge  of  Heaven's  designs  in  this 
respect,  saw  that  the  burden  of  the  Lord  was  upon  him, 
and,  accordingly,  he  was  called  out  and  duly  authorized  to 
preach  the  Gospel  of  salvation  to  perishing  sinners. 

How  mysterious  are  the  ways  of  Providence!  The 
father  of  William,  burning  with  a  missionary  zeaj,  left  his 
home  and  friends  for  the  then  distant  Carolinas  and 


408  SKETCHES    OF 

Georgia,  and  the  far-off  cane-brakes  of  Kentucky;  and 
when  disposed  to  settle,  having  purchased  a  large  tract 
of  land,  was  turned  out  of  house  and  home  by  land  pirates, 
and  driven  out  in  the  wilds  of  the  North-western  terri- 
tory. Here  he  made  another  purchase  of  land,  which 
was  taken  from  him ;  and  still  another,  but  his  plans  were 
all  frustrated,  and  he  kept  wandering.  God  at  length 
converts  his  three  sons,  and  sends  them  out  into  the  waste 
places,  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  their  father  in  calling 
sinners  to  repentance. 

William  having  proved  himself  in  the  local  ranks,  en- 
tered the  itinerancy  at  the  conference  held  in  Cincinnati, 
in  1814.  His  first  appointment  was  Paint  Creek  circuit, 
which  he  was  to  travel  alone.  It  was  a  four  weeks'  circuit, 
but  he  labored  with  zeal  and  fidelity;  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  the  year  he  reported  an  accession  of  one  hundred 
precious  souls.  His  next  appointment  was  Brush  Creek 
circuit,  where  he  labored  with  the  same  untiring  zeal  in 
proclaiming  salvation  to  the  lost.  The  succeeding  years 
he  traveled  Miami,  Scioto,  and  Paint  Creek  circuits.  His 
last  appointment  was  Strait  Creek  circuit,  in  the  year 
1820.  He  was  obliged  to  take  a  location  at  the  close  of 
this  year,  from  the  following  lamentable  circumstances : 
On  returning  to  his  circuit  from  a  visit  to  his  family,  his 
horse  became  frightened  and  threw  him,  his  head  striking 
violently  against  the  bridge  which  he  was  crossing,  frac- 
turing his  skull  just  above  the  left  ear.  This  wound  was 
of  such  a  nature  as  to  disqualify  him  from  preaching. 
He  suffered  much  from  pain  in  the  head,  and  was  admon- 
ished that  his  work  as  an  itinerant  was  done.  Judging 
that  he  had  not  been  sufficiently  long  in  the  itinerancy  to 
entitle  him  to  a  superannuated  relation,  he  chose  to  locate, 
and,  with  his  wife  and  helpless  children,  trust  to  Provi- 
dence. He  bore  his  painful  affliction  for  more  than  a 
year,  and  he  continued  to  grow  worse  and  worse,  till  at 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  409 

'length  his  mind  gave  way,  and  he  became  at  times  a 
raving  maniac.  He  was  not  disposed  to  do  any  harm.  In 
his  ravings  he  would  pray,  and  sing,  and  preach,  as  if 
still  in  his  beloved  employ  of  winning  souls  to  Christ; 
and  many  who  heard  the  deep  pathos  of  his  soul,  as  it 
sent  out  its  pathetic  wail  like  the  strings  of  a  broken 
harp,  were  melted  to  tears.  At  other  times  his  mania 
would  assume  a  different  form,  and  it  was  almost  impos- 
sible to  control  him.  After  suffering  thus  for  seventeen 
months,  his  physician  finally  concluded  to  trepan  him  as 
the  only  hope  of  giving  him  relief.  When  it  was  com- 
municated to  him,  and  the  doctor  told  him  he  must  con- 
sent to  be  bound,  he  firmly  replied,  "No;  I  can  stand 
any  thing,"  and  laying  himself  down,  without  moving  a 
limb  or  a  muscle,  he  endured  the  operation.  The  moment 
the  pressure  was  removed  from  the  brain  his  mind  at 
once  resumed  its  healthy  functions,  and  he  commenced 
praising  God  for  his  deliverance.  He  lived  in  the  full, 
bright,  unclouded  exercise  of  all  his  faculties  for  about 
three  weeks  after  the  operation  was  performed,  and  in 
the  full,  glorious  triumphs  of  faith  he  went  to  that  world 
where  no  derangement  of  human  organization  could  ob- 
struct the  soul  in  its  glorious  exercise. 

The  pulpit  exercises  of  William  were  of  the  tender  and 
pathetic  kind.  None  ever  heard  him  preach  that  he  did 
not,  with  his  sympathetic  Master,  weep  over  his  congre- 
gation, and  beseech  the  sinner  in  tenderest  strains  to  be 
reconciled  to  God,  not  ceasing  till  all  were  melted  into 
tears.  How  often  have  we  thought  of  the  saying  of  the 
classic  orator,  in  regard  to  the  secret  of  producing  feeling 
in  the  hearts  of  an  audience  : 

"  If  you  would  have  me  weep,  begin  the  strain ; 
Then  I  shall  feel  your  sorrows,  feel  your  pain '.'' 

By  many  he  was  called  Jeremiah,  or  the  weeping 
prophet.  He  was  not  a  Boanerges,  but  a  son  of  consolation ; 

35 


410  SKETCHES    OI? 

and  though  there  was  nothing  very  brilliant  or  showy  in 
his  talents  as  a  preacher,  yet  he  was  enabled,  through  the 
Spirit,  to  find  way  to  the  hearts  of  saints  and  sinners. 
Christ  and  him  crucified  was  the  theme  that  melted  his 
heart  and  flowed  from  his  tongue.  His  devoted  wife  is 
Ftill  coasting  the  Jordan,  waiting  to  cross  over.  The 
most  of  his  children  have  already  gone  to  join  their 
sainted  father  in  the  better  land.  We  stood  by  the 
dying  bed  of  one  of  his  lovely  daughters,  and  never  did 
saints  or  angels  witness  a  more  happy  and  triumphant 
death.  In  her  last  moments  she  said,  "Dear  mother, 
weep  not  for  me.  Angels  are  waiting  to  take  me  to  Jesus 
and  my  home  in  heaven;  there  I  shall  see  my  dear  father, 
and  brothers,  and  sisters,  and  there  I  shall  wait  your  arri- 
val." Sweetest  music  filled  our  ears  as  she  plumed  her 
wings  and  flew  from  time's  retiring  shores  to  that  bright 
world  above.  0,  what  a  happy  death !  While  we  write 
it  seems  as  if  our  precious  kindred  are  hovering  around. 
Our  soul  swells  with  glory  as  we  contemplate  the, hour, 
not  far  distant,  when  we  shall  hail  them  on  that  sun- 
bright  shore. 


TVESTEKN    METHODISM. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

11  U  S  S  E  L     BIGELOW. 

AMONG  the  number  of  the  gifted,  devoted,  and  zealoua 
preachers  of  his  day  stands  the  name  of  Russel  Bigelow. 
He  was  received  on  trial  in  the  Ohio  conference  in  the 
year  1815,  and  appointed  to  the  Hinkston  circuit,  in  the 
bounds  of  the  Kentucky  district,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Parker 
being  his  presiding  elder.  He  was  at  this  time  in  the 
twenty-third  year  of  his  age.  The  history  of  his  early 
life,  and  the  circumstances  connected  with  his  conver- 
sion, are  not  known;  and  however  interesting  their  detail 
might,  and,  doubtless,  would  be,  wo  are  sorry  that  our 
readers  can  not  be  gratified.  So  marked  a  character  as 
was  Bigelow's  during  his  ministerial  career,  must  have 
been  distinguished  in  early  life  by  some  striking  pecu- 
liarities. 

In  the  year  1816  he  was  removed  from  Kentucky  to 
Ohio,  and  stationed  on  the  Miami  circuit  as  the  colleague 
of  the  Rev.  Alexander  Cummins.  His  early  association 
with  the  master  spirits  of  the  Church  doubtless  had  a 
happy  effect  upon  his  character,  in  developing  those 
traits  which  distinguished  him  in  the  maturer  periods 
of  his  ministry.  The  succeeding  year  he  was  sent  to  the 
adjoining  circuit  of  Lawrenceburg,  where  he  continued 
till  the  next  conference,  at  which  he  was  sent  to  Oxford, 
where  he  remained  two  years.  In  1820  he  traveled  Mad 
River  circuit,  and  the  following  two  years  Columbus.  At 
the  expiration  of  this  period  he  went  to  Whitewater,  and 
from  thence  he  came  to  Cincinnati,  which  place  he  occu- 


412  SKETCHES   OF 

pied  with  the  Kev.  Truman  Bishop.  Here  he  remained 
one  year,  and  from  hence  went  to  Union  circuit.  The 
next  two  years  he  traveled  the  Scioto  district,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  this  time  was  sent  to  the  mission  at  San- 
dusky.  Here  he  engaged  in  the  work  of  preaching  to 
the  Wyandott  Indians,  superintending  the  farm  and  mis- 
sion school.  The  tedious  process,  however,  of  preaching 
through  an  interpreter  was  wholly  unsuited  to  his  nature, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  the  year  he  retired  from  the 
work  to  seek  a  more  congenial  sphere.  The  four  succeed- 
ing years  he  was  sent  to  preside  over  the  Portland  district, 
and  in  the  year  1833  he  was  stationed  in  Columbus, 
where  he  remained  two  years,  giving  full  proof  of  his 
ministry,  beloved  and  respected  by  all  both  in  and  out  of 
the  Church.  Indeed,  such  was  the  esteem  in  which  he 
was  held  that,  during  the  next  year,  in  which  it  was  nec- 
essary for  him,  on  account  of  his  feeble  health,  to  take  a 
superannuated  relation,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Board 
of  Directors  of  the  Ohio  Penitentiary,  as  chaplain  to  that 
institution. 

He  entered  upon  his  labors  in  the  Penitentiary  with  a 
zeal  and  devotion  characteristic  of  his  truly-benevolent 
heart.  He  visited  every  cell,  and  conversed  with  every 
prisoner,  and  his  prayers  and  exhortations  were  not  lost 
upon  the  hearts  of  the  convicts.  Many  an  obdurate  and 
sin-steeled  conscience  was  touched  by  the  eloquence  of 
his  tears  and  entreaties  to  win  them  from  the  ways  of  sin. 
The  fruits  of  his  labors  in  this  field  eternity  can  alone 
disclose.  He  might  have  avoided  much  labor,  and  incur- 
red no  charge  on  the  ground  of  non-attendance  of  duty; 
but  the  worth  of  souls  uncared  for,  as  is  usually  the  case 
with  the  inmates  of  a  prison,  pressed  heavily  upon  his 
heart,  and  awakened  all  his  sympathies.  Under  these 
labors  he  broke  down,  and  before  the  year  had  expired  it 
was  necessary  for  him  to  resign  his  post. 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 

About  this  time  he  visited  our  house  on  his  way  to 
Indiana.  He  had  rigged  up  a  jumper,  there  being  snow 
on  the  ground,  and  in  that  backwoods  conveyance  he  came 
into  Ridgeville,  the  place  where  we  resided.  He  seemed 
to  be  laboring  under  a  melancholy,  which  had,  for  some 
time,  been  settling  upon  him,  and  his  friends  were  some- 
what apprehensive  of  the  consequences.  He  was  evi- 
dently passing  through  one  of  those  severe  trials  with 
which  God  purifies  his  saints  and  fits  them  for  heaven. 
There  was  a  cause,  however,  for  his  despondency.  He 
had  given  all  to  the  Church — his  time,  his  talents,  and 
all — and  while  he  was  able  to  preach  all  was  well.  Bright 
faces  and  open  hands  greeted  him  in  all  his  walks  j  but, 
alas!  when  disease  preyed  upon  his  system,  and  he  was 
no  longer  able  to  preach  the  Gospel,  faces  were  hidden 
and  hands  were  turned  away.  A  man  must  have  had 
more  faith  than  mortal  can  exercise  under  such  circum- 
stances, not  to  feel  depressed.  Before  his  enfeebled 
mind  rose  his  helpless  family — a  wife  and  seven  chil- 
dren— and  they,  in  all  probability,  soon  to  be  left  without 
any  to  provide  for  their  wants.  His  sad  experience  too 
thoroughly  convinced  him  how  cheerless  would  be  their 
condition  when  he  was  gone;  and  to  the  Rev.  J.  C. 
Brooke  he  opened  freely  his  mind  upon  the  subject. 
Never  did  we  feel  more  intensely  for  a  poor  itinerant 
than  we  then  felt  for  Bigelow. 

After  remaining  with  us  a  week  on  his  return,  he  made 
ready  for  his  departure.  The  snow  had  melted,  and  there 
being  no  further  need  for  a  jumper,  Mr.  Brooke  furnished 
him  a  saddle  and  fitted  him  up.  He  was  loth  to  leave, 
and  lingered  about;  and  when  with  tears  we  bade  him 
farewell,  never  to  see  him  again  in  this  world,  Mr.  Brooke 
gave  him  all  the  money  he  had.  After  riding  off  some 
distance  on  the  road  he  returned,  and  taking  his  horse- 
collar  and  haines  he  threw  them  into  the  yard,  all  he  had 

35* 


414:  SKETCHES    OF 

to  leave  as  a  memento,  the  remains  of  which,  we  have  on 
the  farm  to  this  day. 

His  work  was  done,  and  that  devoted,  self-sacrificing 
missionary  went  home  to  die.  For  more  than  twenty 
years  he  had  toiled  in  the  hard  field  of  itinerant  life, 
filling,  with  a  zeal  and  fidelity  characteristic  of  a  faithful 
soldier  of  the  cross,  every  post  assigned  him  by  the  au- 
thorities of  the  Church.  For  a  period  of  nineteen  years 
it  was  said  of  him,  that  he  had  not  missed  a  single  ap- 
pointment. Frequent  exposures  in  traveling  the  hard 
circuits  and  districts  of  those  days  made  heavy  drafts 
upon  his  constitution,  and  ere  he  had  scarcely  reached 
" manhood's  middle  day"  he  was  called  from  the  field  of 
his  toil  and  conflict  on  earth  to  the  scenes  of  his  reward 
and  triumph  in  heaven.  In  the  midst  of  his  sufferings 
he  realized  a  perfect  resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  and 
in  the  language  of  faith  and  joy  he  was  enabled  to  shout 
the  praises  of  his  heavenly  King.  While  a  brother  in 
the  ministry  was  pouring  out  his  heart  in  prayer  to  God 
in  his  behalf,  the  responses  of  the  dying  man  illustrated 
the  truth  that 

"  The  chamber  where  he  met  his  fate, 
Was  privileged  beyond  the  common  walks 
Of  life — quite  on  the  verge  of  heaven." 

Our  sketch  would  be  entirely  too  meager  and  unsatis- 
factory did  it  end  here ;  and  such,  unfortunately,  would 
have  been  the  case,  to  a  very  great  extent,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  very  graphic  and  faithful  pen  of  Dr.  Thom- 
son, who  has  given  a  most  truthful  and  beautiful  analysis 
of  the  sainted  Bigclow's  character.  To  this  description 
we  invite  the  attention  of  our  readers. 

"  Russel  Bigelow  was  an  extraordinary  man,  and  his 
merits  were  never  fully  appreciated  even  by  the  Church. 
Of  his  early  history  the  writer  has  no  knowledge,  further 
than  that  he  emigrated,  at  an  early  age,  from  New  Eng- 


WESTKKif    METHODISM.  415 

land  to  the  west,  and  that,  from  his  youth,  being  accus- 
tomed to  read  the  Bible  upon  his  knees,  he  soon  became 
remarkable  for  piety.  It  is  probable  that  he  was  favorec 
with  no  more  than  a  good  common  school  education,  be- 
fore he  entered  the  itinerancy,  of  which  he  was  so  con- 
spicuous an  ornament.  I  was  a  student  in  the  beautiful 
Tillage  of  W.  when  I  first  heard  of  him.  Opposite  our 
office  was  a  coppersmith,  a  man  of  remarkable  mind  and 
character.  He  had  been  reared  without  any  education, 
and  had  been  unfortunate  in  his  business  relations;  but 
having  spent  his  leisure  in  reading  and  in  conversation 
with  persons  of  better  attainments,  he  had  acquired  a 
stock  of  valuable  knowledge,  which  his  grappling  intel- 
lect well  knew  how  to  use.  He  was  an  active  politician. 
In  times  of  excitement  he  gathered  the  multitude  around 
him,  and  often  arrested  our  studies  by  his  stentorian 
voice,  which  could  drown  the  clatter  of  his  hammers  and 
the  confusion  even  of  Bedlam.  I  think  I  may  safely  say 
that  for  many  years  he  wielded  the  political  destinies  of 
his  county.  Never  in  office  himself,  his  will  determined 
who  should  be.  This  man  had  imbibed  skeptical  senti- 
ments, which  he  often  inculcated  with  terrific  energy. 
He  rarely  went  to  the  house  of  God,  and  when  he  did, 
I  supposed  he  might  as  well  stay  at  home ;  for  I  should 
have  thought  it  as  easy  to  melt  a  rock  with  a  fagot,  as 
to  subdue  his  heart  by  the  'foolishness  of  preaching.' 

"  One  Saturday  evening  he  came  into  our  office  with  a 
peculiar  expression  of  countenance — the  tear  started  from 
his  eye  as  he  said,  '  I  have  been  to  meeting,  and  by  the 
grace  of  God  I  will  continue  on  as  long  as  it  lasts.  Come, 
young  gentlemen,  come  and  hear  Bigelow.  He  will  show 
you  the  world,  and  the  human  heart,  and  the  Bible,  and 
the  cross  in  such  a  light  as  you  have  never  before  seen 
them.'  I  trembled  beneath  the  announcement;  for  if 
the  preacher  had  prostrated  a  fainting  multitude  at  his 


4:16  SKETCHES    OF 

feet,  he  would  not  have  given  me  as  convincing  a  proof 
of  his  power  as  that  which  stood  before  me.  This  was 
the  first  account  I  ever  heard  of  Bigelow ;  and  from  that 
time  I  avoided  the  Methodist  church,  till  he  left  the 
village. 

"One  morning  of  the  ensuing  summer,  my  preceptor 
came  in  and  said,  '  T.,  come,  mount  old  black,  and  go 
with  me  to  camp  meeting.' 

"  T.  '  Excuse  me,  sir,  I  have  no  desire  to  go  to  such  a 
nursery  of  vice  and  enthusiasm.' 

"P.  (O,  you  are  too  bigoted.  Presbyterian,  as  I  am, 
I  confess  I  like  camp  meetings.  There  man  can  forget 
the  business  of  life,  and  listen  to  the  truth  without  dis- 
traction, and  then  ponder  on  it,  and  pray  over  it,  and  feel 
it.  Good  impressions  are  made  every  Sabbath ;  but  they 
rarely  bring  forth  fruit;  they  are  worn  away  by  the  busi- 
ness of  the  week.  At  camp  meeting  the  heart  can  first 
be  heated,  and  then,  while  yet  warm,  placed  upon  the 
anvil  and  beaten  into  shape.' 

"  T.  <I  was  once  at  camp  meeting  two  hours,  and  that 
satisfied  me.  The  heart  may  be  warmed  there,  but  I 
doubt  the  purity  of  the  fire  which  heats  it.' 

"P.  'A  truce  to  argument.  I  have  a  patient  there 
I  want  you  to  see.  You  have  no  objection  to  go  pro- 
fessionally.' 

"  T.  'No,  sir,  I  will  go  any  where  to  see  a  patient.' 

"  It  was  a  lovely  morning.  The  sun  was  shining  from 
a  cloudless  sky,  and  the  fresh  breezes  fanned  us,  as  we 
rode  by  well-cultivated  and  fertile  fields,  waving  with 
their  rich  and  ripening  harvests.  After  a  short  journey 
we  came  to  the  encampment.  A  broad  beam  of  daylight 
showed  things  to  advantage ;  and  I  could  but  think,  as  I 
gazed  from  an  elevated  point,  and  drank  in  the  sweet 
songs  that  reverberated  through  the  grove,  of  some  of 
the  scenes  of  Scripture.  My  rebel  heart  was  constrained 


WESTERH    METHODISM.  417 

to  cry  within  me,  'How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob, 
and  thy  tabernacles,  0  Israel  1  As  the  valleys  are  they 
spread  forth :  as  gardens  by  the  river's  side.' 

"  Having  visited  the  sick  whom  we  had  come  to  see, 
we  were  invited,  with  great  kindness  and  cordiality,  to 
partake  of  refreshments.  The  warmth  of  our  reception 
excited  my  gratitude,  and  instead  of  starting  home,  when 
the  horn  blew  for  preaching,  I  sat  down  respectfully  to 
hear  the  sermon.  Bigelow  was  to  preach.  I  dreaded 
the  occasion;  but  had  always  been  taught  to  venerate 
religion,  and  had  never  seen  the  day  when  I  could  ridi- 
cule or  disturb  even  the  Mohammedan  at  his  prayers, 
or  the  pagan  at  his  idol.  In  the  pulpit  were  many  cler- 
gymen, two  of  whom  I  knew  and  esteemed — the  one  a 
tall,  majestic  man,  whose  vigorous  frame  symbolized  his 
noble  mind  and  generous  heart ;  the  other  a  small,  deli- 
cate, graceful  gentleman,  whom  nature  had  fitted  for  a 
universal  favorite.  Had  I  been  consulted,  one  of  them 
should  have  occupied  the  pulpit  at  that  time.  All  was 
stillness  and  attention  when  the  presiding  eider  stepped 
forward.  Never  was  I  so  disappointed  in  a  man's  per- 
sonal appearance.  He  was  below  the  middle  stature, 
and  clad  in  coarse,  ill-made  garments.  His  uncombed 
hair  hung  loosely  over  his  forehead.  His  attitudes  and 
motions  were  exceedingly  ungraceful,  and  every  feature 
of  his  countenance  was  unprepossessing.  Upon  minutely 
examining  him,  however,  I  became  better  pleased.  The 
long  hair  that  came  down  to  his  cheeks,  concealed  a 
broad  and  prominent  forehead ;  the  keen  eye  that  peered 
from  beneath  his  heavy  and  overjutting  eyebrows  beamed 
with  deep  and  penetrating  intelligence;  the  prominent 
cheek-bones,  projecting  chin,  and  large  nose,  indicated 
any  thing  but  intellectual  feebleness;  while  the  wide 
mouth,  depressed  at  its  corners,  the  slightly-expanded  nos- 
tril, and  the  tout  ensemble,  indicated  sorrow  and  love,  and 


418  SKETCHES   OF 

well  assorted  with  the  message,  {  Come  unto  me  all  ye 
that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.' 
As  he  commenced  I  determined  to  watch  for  his  faults; 
but  before  he  had  closed  his  introduction  I  concluded 
that  his  words  were  pure  and  well  chosen,  his  accents 
never  misplaced,  his  sentences  grammatical,  artistically 
constructed,  and  well  arranged,  both  for  harmony  and 
effect;  and  when  he  entered  fully  upon  his  subject,  I 
was  disposed  to  resign  myself  to  the  argument,  and  leave 
the  speaker  in  the  hands  of  more  skillful  critics.  Hav- 
ing stated  and  illustrated  his  position  clearly,  he  laid 
broad  the  foundation  of  his  argument,  and  piled  stono 
upon  stone,  hewed  and  polished,  till  he  stood  upon  a  ma- 
jestic pyramid,  with  heaven's  own  light  around  him, 
pointing  the  astonished  multitude  to  a  brighter  home 
beyond  the  sun,  and  bidding  defiance  to  the  enemy  to 
move  one  fragment  of  the  rock  on  which  his  feet 
were  planted.  His  argument  being  completed,  his  per- 
oration commenced.  This  was  grand  beyond  description. 
The  whole  universe  seemed  animated  by  its  Creator  to  aid 
him  in  persuading  the  sinners  to  return  to  God,  and  the 
angels  commissioned  to  open  heaven  and  come  down  to 
strengthen  him.  Now  he  opens  the  mouth  of  the  pit, 
and  takes  us  through  its  gloomy  avenues,  while  the  bolts 
retreat,  and  the  doors  of  damnation  burst  open,  and  the 
wail  of  the  lost  enters  our  ears ;  and  now  he  opens 
heaven,  transports  us  to  the  flowery  plains,  stands  us  amid 
the  armies  of  the  blest,  to  sweep,  with  celestial  fingers, 
angelic  harps,  and  join  the  eternal  chorus,  'Worthy, 
worthy  is  the  Lamb  !'  As  he  closed  his  discourse,  every 
energy  of  his  body  and  mind  were  stretched  to  the 
utmost  point  of  tension.  His  soul  appeared  to  be  too 
great  for  its  tenement,  and  every  moment  ready  to  burst 
through  and  soar  away  as  an  eagle  toward  heaven.  His 
lungs  labored,  his  arms  rose,  the  perspiration,  mingled 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  419 

with  tears,  flowed  in  a  steady  stream  upon  the  floor,  and 
every  thing  about  him  seemed  to  say,  <0  that  my  head 
were  waters !'  But  the  audience  thought  not  of  the 
struggling  body,  nor  even  of  the  giant  mind  within ;  for 
they  were  paralyzed  beneath  the  avalanche  of  thought 
that  descended  upon  them. 

"I  lost  the  man,  but  the  subject  was  all  in  all.  I  re- 
turned from  the  ground  dissatisfied  with  myself,  saying 
within  me,  '  0,  that  I  were  a  Christian  !' 

"  It  was  two  or  three  years  after  this  that,  being  intro- 
duced into  the  Church,  I  became  acquainted  personally 
with  this  excellent  man,  of  whose  character  I  propose  to 
record  what  I  recollect. 

"1.  He  was  modest.  To  receive  the  plaudits  of  thou- 
sands, without  forming  a  high  estimate  of  one's  talents, 
requires  much  grace.  Hence,  the  orator  is  generally 
proud.  Bigelow  preached  to  audiences  as  large,  and  with 
results  as  astonishing,  as  we  have  ever  witnessed.  Though 
he  could  not  have  been  insensible  of  his  power,  yet  he 
appeared  to  set  no  high  estimate  on  his  superior  qualifica- 
tions or  endowments ;  for  he  rarely  alluded  to  them,  or 
suffered  any  one  else,  unrebuked,  to  do  so  in  his  presence. 
He  was  a  perfect  gentleman  in  his  deportment — to  his 
inferiors  kind — to  his  equals  courteous — to  those  who  had 
the  rule  over  him  submissive — toward  those  of  elevated 
station  independent,  yet  duly  respectful — toward  the  civil 
magistrate  conscientiously  regardful,  rendering  unto  '  Cae- 
sar the  things  that  are  Caesar's.'  Though  he  scorned  not 
the  palace,  he  courted  not  its  inmates;  and  while  the 
circles  of  fashion  delighted  to  honor  him,  he  'conde- 
scended to  men  of  low  estate.'  Capable  of  standing, 
like  the  cedar  on  Lebanon,  he  loved  the  place 

4  Where  purple  violets  lurk 
With  all  the  lately  children  of  the  shade.' 

"Though  modest,  he  was  not  bashfnl.     Without  any 


SKETCHES    OF 

thing  assuming  in  look,  word,  or  action,  he  was  a  fine 
illustration  of  the  truth,  '  The  righteous  is  bold  as  a  lion.' 
He  was  as  far  from  diffidence  as  presumption.  Never 
pushing  himself  beyond  his  post,  he  was  always  ready 
to  maintain  it.  His  eye  knew  not  to  quail,  nor  his  knee 
to  tremble  before  mortal  man.  He  asked  no  one  to 
stand  in  his  place  in  the  hour  of  trial  or  of  duty.  Yet 
after  the  sharpest  conflict,  and  most  glorious  mental  con- 
quest, he  was  ready  to  wash  the  feet  of  the  humblest 
saint.  The  lark  is  his  emblem,  which,  after  pouring  its 
heavenly  strains  upon  the  upper  skies,  descends  to  build 
its  nest  upon  the  ground.  It  may  be  matter  of  surprise 
to  some  that  such  a  man  should  be  so  modest ;  but  the 
explanation  is  at  hand.  He  knew  that  he  had  nothing  but 
what  he  had  received.  When  his  wondering  audience 
seemed  to  say,  'He  can  do  all  things/  his  spirit  and  man- 
ner breathed  the  addition,  'through  Christ  strengthening 
me.'  Moreover,  he  seemed  to  have  a  method  of  hiding 
and  diminishing  his  own  excellences,  while  he  sought  out 
and  magnified  those  of  every  one  else.  He  was,  how- 
ever, far  from  every  thing  mean  or  low ;  indeed,  there 
was  an  exquisite  delicacy  about  all  his  thoughts,  illustra- 
tions, and  manners. 

"2.  He  was  humble.  If  any  man  could  boast  of  gra- 
ces he  could.  In  him  they  all  abounded — faith  that 
works  by  love,  and  purifies  the  heart — hope,  the  anchor 
of  the  soul,  sure  and  steadfast — love  that  burns  with  an 
even,  intense  flame,  consuming  all  that  'opposeth  or  ex- 
alteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God' — zeal,  ardent 
and  uncompromising,  bringing  body  and  soul  to  the  altar; 
and  yet  he  was 

1  Of  boasting  more  than  of  a  tomb  afraid.' 

He  worked  out  his  salvation  ' with  fear  and  trembling? 
he  was  meek  and  lowly  in  heart;  he  inserted  the  petition 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  421 

*  forgive  us  our  trespasses '  in  all  his  prayers,  and  felt  that 
his  best  actions  needed  the  'sprinkling  of  the  blood  of 
Jesus/ 

"  3.  He  was  affable.  His  natural  sweetness  of  temper, 
refined  by  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  gave  him  an  unaf- 
fected politeness,  which  rendered  every  person  perfectly 
easy  in  his  presence.  The  young  approached  him  as  a 
father,  the  aged  as  a  friend,  and  both  felt  encouraged,  by 
his  engaging  air,  to  express  their  wants  or  inquiries  with- 
out reserve.  There  are  some  whose  affability  invites 
familiarity,  and  leads  to  contempt ;  but  he  mingled  with 
his  urbanity  a  dignity  which  imposed  respect,  and  a  so- 
lemnity which  banished  levity.  In  his  public  addresses 
he  would  go  before  you  as  a  pillar  of  fire,  but  in  private 
he  would  suffer  you  to  lead  wherever  you  desired,  taking 
care  to  follow  you  like  the  smitten  rock  which  followed 
Israel,  to  pour  blessings  at  your  feet.  His  mind,  like 
that  of  Christ,  seemed  filled  with  beautiful  analogies,  by 
which  he  could  rise  from  the  material  to  the  spiritual, 
and  make  an  easy  path  to  heaven  from  any  point  of  earth 
He  could  charm  even  the  worldly  heart  that  would  hold 
communion  with  him ;  for  although  he  would  direct  it 
outward  from  its  own  defiled  chambers,  and  upward  to 
God,  he  would  make  the  ascent  so  smooth  and  green,  and 
would  throw  so  much  light  and  loveliness  on  all  the  paths 
of  piety,  that  his  retiring  footsteps]  would  call  forth  the 
assurance,  i  At  a  more  convenient  season  I  will  send  for 
thee.' 

"  When  he  spent  the  night  with  a  religious  family,  he 
was  in  the  habit  of  conversing  in  a  religious  manner, 
without  seeming  to  aim  at  it ;  and  when  his  host  lighted 
him  to  his  chamber,  he  would  take  him  by  the  hand 
when  they  were  alone,  and,  alluding  to  the  kindness 
bestowed  upon  him,  would  make  his  own  gratitude  an 
apology  for  inquiring  into  the  highest  welfare  of  his 

36 


422  SKETCHES    OF 

hospitable  friend.  He  would  speak  of  God's  goodness, 
man's  accountability,  a  parent's  influence,  a  Savior's 
love,  an  approaching  judgment;  and  when,  with  stream- 
ing eyes,  he  bowed  down  to  plead  with  God  for  his  friend, 
it  would  seem  as  though  the  heart  of  stone  must  melt. 
Wherever  he  went  he  was  hailed  as  a  messenger  of  God; 
and  whenever  he  departed  it  seemed  as  though  an  angel 
was  taking  leave.  His  name  still  sheds  fragrance  from  a 
thousand  family  altars.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the 
estimate  in  which  he  is  held  by  those  with  whom  he  was 
frequently  called  to  hold  communion  in  the  discharge  of 
official  duty.  He  was  the  man  whom  his  brethren  in  the 
ministry  delighted  to  honor.  At  the  conference,  at  the 
quarterly  meeting,  you  might  see  them  gathering  around 
him  to  hear  his  counsel,  receive  his  blessing,  and  present 
Borne  token  of  their  love.  In  such  seasons  he  had  no 
reason  to  envy  the  crowned  or  the  mitered  head.  No 
incense  offered  to  the  conqueror  of  a  hundred  of  earth's 
battle-fields  like  the  incense  offered  to  him  at  such  peri- 
ods; but  he  was  not  vain,  and  when  he  was  the  object  of 
kind  attention  his  heart  was  overwhelmed,  and  he  wept 
as  a  father  in  the  midst  of  his  children.  The  stranger 
who  witnessed  such  a  scene  could  not  refrain  from  saying 
in  his  heart,  '  Behold  how  they  love  him !' 

"4.  He  was  cheerful,  notwithstanding  his  habitual  se- 
riousness. Bearing  in  his  bosom  a  load  which  might 
make  an  apostle  cry  out,  '  I  have  great  heaviness  and  a 
continual  sorrow  in  my  heart,'  he,  nevertheless,  stood 
aloof  from  melancholy  or  despair.  The  shades  of  his 
brow  were  generally  like  the  flying  clouds  of  a  serene 
day,  which,  chasing  each  other,  '  now  hide  and  now 
reveal  the  sun.'  Meridian  faith  beamed  from  his  counte- 
nance even  in  the  storm,  and  threw  the  bow  of  promise 
over  the  darkest  cloud.  He  illustrated  the  paradox,  'As 
Borrowful,  yet  always  rejoicing.' 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  423 

"  5.  He  was  frank.  Perhaps  this  is  the  first  charac- 
teristic which  a  stranger  would  notice  on  being  intro- 
duced to  him.  He  was  far  from  every  thing  like  reserve, 
hypocrisy,  or  concealment.  His  thoughts,  words,  and 
feelings  were  at  ease,  his  natural  language  under  no 
restraint,  and  his  lips  ready  to  utter  the  uppermost 
thoughts  of  his  soul.  Indeed,  his  countenance  seemed 
so  transparent,  that  you  could  see  his  heart  as  plainly  as 
his  features.  At  the  same  time,  he  had  none  of  the  im- 
pertinence of  freedom,  nor  the  indiscretion  of  openness. 
He  was  more  ready  to  confess  his  own  faults,  than  cor- 
rect another's.  If  he  opened  his  heart  it  was  not  from 
conceit,  but  from  natural  warmth;  and  when  he  poured 
forth  its  treasures,  it  was  not  that  they  might  flow  any 
where,  but  only  over  those  fields  which  thirsted  for  re- 
freshment. When  he  saw  a  friend  in  danger,  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  proffer  counsel ;  but  this  he  did  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  inspire  respect,  if  not  to  secure  salvation. 
There  was  no  superciliousness  or  display  of  superiority — 
no  aggravation  of  the  offender's  faults — no  tone  of  au- 
thority in  his  reproof;  but  he  came  upon  you  with  such 
'meekness  of  wisdom/  such  a  kind  estimate  of  your  vir- 
tues, such  a  voice  of  tenderness,  that  you  could  not  but 
bless  him,  even  though  he  probed  you  to  the  quick. 

"  There  is  a  frank  man  who  is  not  to  be  depended  on. 
He  will  smile  upon  you,  and  promise  you  a  favor,  and  the 
next  moment,  if  he  meet  with  your  enemy,  can  promise 
him  the  same  ;  not  that  he  would  be  false ;  he  is  only 
changeable.  But  his  inconsistencies  often  involve  his 
honor,  and  place  his  ingenuity  upon  the  rack  to  rescue 
it.  Bigelow's  promises  were  to  be  relied  on.  Of  him  we 
might  say, 

•  His  words  are  bonds — his  oaths  are  oracles— 
His  loves  sincere.' 

"  There  is  a  character  that  can  not  be  understood — a 


4:24:  SKETCHES    OF 

perfect  mystery.  The  more  you  explore  it,  the  more  you 
are  confounded.  It  is  a  Proteus ;  you  know  not  whether 
to  love  or  hate — whether  to  regard  it  as  foe  or  friend, 
saint  or  devil.  One  moment  you  are  allured  by  an  ex- 
cellence, and  the  next  repelled  by  a  blemish.  But  the 
greatest  of  all  difficulties  is,  that  it  communicates  with 
the  world  entirety  by  artificial  language.  You  can  not 
trace  it;  it  seems  to  adopt  its  motives  by  stealth,  and 
drag  them  to  its  heart  as  Cacus  did  the  cattle  of  Her- 
cules to  his  cave — by  the  tail  instead  of  the  horns;  so 
that  if  you  follow  their  tracks,  you  are  sure  to  go  the 
wrong  way.  It  can  hardly  '  take  tea  without  a  strata- 
gem;' and,  like  the  ancient  warrior,  if  it  thought  its 
coat  could  tell  what  it  was  about,  it  would  burn  it.  Its 
whole  business  seemed  to  be  to  elude  the  world,  which 
it  draws,  like  a  pack  of  gray-hounds,  to  its  scent.  Now, 
the  very  reverse  of  all  this  was  Russel  Bigelow. 

"I  shall  never  forget  the  childlike  simplicity  with, 
which,  on  one  occasion,  in  conversation  about  the  com- 
parative advantages  of  extempore  and  written  sermons, 
he  having  dropped  the  remark,  'My  happiest  efforts/ 
added,  '0,  pardon  me  for  having  used  that  term  in 
speaking  of  any  effort  of  mine.'  A  stranger  having 
taken  him  aside,  and  presented  him  with  a  suit  of 
clothes,  which  he  much  needed,  he  seized  his  hand,  and 
looking  up  to  him  with  tearful  eyes,  said,  '0,  doctor,  I 
will  pray  for  you  as  long  as  I  live  !'  Jf  about  to  make  a 
speech,  he  would  tell  you  so,  and  perhaps  explain  to  you 
the  ground  he  was  about  to  take,  and  the  arguments  he 
would  employ;  so  that,  if  you  chose,  you  might  digest  a 
reply  before  his  effort  was  heard.  Had  he  been  in  Jo- 
seph's place,  he,  too,  would  have  told  his  dreams,  and 
looked  for  his  brethren  in  Shechem  or  in  Dotham. 

"  6.  He  was  benevolent  and  beneficent.  Like  his  Mas- 
ter, he  was  touched  with  a  feeling  of  human  infirmities. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  425 

He  had  learned  how  to  weep  with  them  that  weep,  and 
rejoice  with  them  that  rejoice.  One  needed  but  to  see 
him  in  the  asylum,  or  the  prison,  or  standing  before  an 
object  of  distress  by  the  road-side,  or  uttering  the  sym- 
pathies of  his  broad  heart  at  the  pillow  of  the  sick  to 
be  convinced,  without  argument,  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  disinterested  benevolence. 

"  His  faith  did  not  overlook  the  present  world,  in  its 
concerns  for  the  future;  and  while  he  struggled,  and 
wept,  and  prayed  for  the  sinful  soul,  he  did  not  forget 
the  suffering  body.  Nor  was  he  content  with  knowing 
the  sorrows  of  those  who  came  in  his  way :  f  The  cause 
that  he  knew  not  he  searched  out.'  He  was  emphat- 
ically the  good  Samaritan.  His  expansive  benevolence 
embraced  the  whole  human  family;  not  that  he  cher- 
ished the  wild  speculation  that  all  mankind  should  be 
regarded  alike ;  but  warming  his  charity  at  the  fireside 
of  his  sweet  home,  he  bade  it  expand  till  it  overleaped 
all  national  boundaries,  and  natural  and  artificial  distinc- 
tions. He  was  not  of  those  who  content  themselves  with 
elevated  views  and  warm  sympathies,  and  who  say  to  the 
shivering  brother,  'Be  thou  warmed  and  dothed.'  His 
beneficence  knew  no  limits  but  his  ability.  As  he  re- 
ceived presents  wherever  he  went — and  his  brethren, 
knowing  his  worth,  would  not  suffer  him  to  be  deficient 
in  his  allowance — if  he  had  husbanded  what  he  received, 
he  would  have  accumulated  money.  But  his  resources 
were  expended  as  fast  as  they  were  received,  and  he  died 
poor.  Indeed,  to  those  who  walk  by  sight,  he  did  not 
seem  to  have  a  proper  regard  for  the  wants  of  his  family; 
and  when  he  approached  the  borders  of  the  grave,  the 
sight  of  his  helpless  children,  whom  he  was  soon  to  leave 
fatherless,  sometimes  induced  self-reproaches,  connected 
with  a  gloomy  despondency  in  view  of  the  future,  which, 
howevei1,  were  instantly  banished  by  the  recollection  of 

36* 


4:26  SKETCHES    OF 

some  sweet  promise  of  Scripture,  and  a  view  of  God's 
tender  relation  to  the  fatherless  and  the  widow. 

"7.  He  was  liberal  in  his  views.  Never  compromising 
or  disguising  the  truth,  warmly  attached  to  his  own  Dis- 
cipline, and  firmly  persuaded  of  his  own  doctrines,  he 
was,  nevertheless,  as  far  from  narrowness  and  bigotry  as 
the  east  is  from  the  west.  He  delighted  to  hail  every 
Church  that  bore  the  banner  of  the  Savior,  under  what- 
ever uniform  or  name ;  and  to  the  image  of  Christ  his 
heart  and  hand  turned  as  the  needle  to  the  pole.  He 
looked  with  joy  upon  the  prosperity  of  sister  Churches; 
and  notwithstanding  he  felt  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  his  own  department  of  Zion,  he  never  could  be  accused 
of  proselyting :  his  great  aim  was  to  bring  honor  to  Christ, 
souls  to  heaven,  and  glory  to  God.  But  although  he  felt 
so  little  concern  to  attract  converts  into  his  Church,  the 
people  would  follow  him  in  flocks,  as  sheep  follow  a  shep- 
herd. 

"8.  His  character  was  harmonious.  We  have  heard 
of  many  a  good  man  whose  home  was  no  paradise.  Bige- 
low  was  to  his  family  what  he  was  to  his  congregation. 
Indeed,  his  spirit  is  said  to  have  been,  if  possible,  even 
more  sweet  and  fragrant  at  the  fireside  than  in  the  pul- 
pit; and  his  prayers  at  the  family  altar  were  as  fervent 
as  those  which  were  audible  to  the  multitude.  In  short, 
his  words  and  his  works,  his  inner  and  his  outer  life,  his 
public  and  his  private  character,  were  alike  lovely  and 
accordant. 

"'Did  you  know  Bigelow?'  said  the  writer  to  Chief 
Justice  L.  'Yes/  he  replied;  'and  it  is  one  of  the 
greatest  regrets  of  my  life  that  I  did  not  know  him  bet- 
ter. Had  I  never  known  him,  I  should  have  loved  him 
for  the  effects  of  his  apostolic  labors  and  holy  example. 
"We  were  a  rude  people  when  he  was  among  us,  and  we 
never  appreciated  his  worth.'  That  ho  had  his  faults 


WK8TKEN    METHODISM.  427 

and  imperfections,  we  do  not  deny ;  but  they  were  almost 
lost  amid  his  excellences.  Let  the  poet  look  out  upon 
the  plain  or  the  mountain,  the  gorgeous  sunset  or  the 
thundering  cataract ;  but  let  me  look  upon  a  good  man. 
The  artist  may  mold  matter  into  forms  of  enrapturing 
beauty,  and  make  us  feel  their  elevating  and  purifying 
influences;  but  what  is  the  marble  Moses  of  Michael 
Angelo,  or  the  cold  statue  of  his  living  Christ,  compared 
with  an  embodiment  of  the  Hebrew  law  and  the  spirit  of 
Jesus  in  the  sculpture  of  a  holy  life  ?  Goethe  said  that 
he  was  not  half  himself  who  had  never  seen  the  Juno 
in  the  Rondanini  palace  at  Rome.  Well,  then,  may  we 
gay,  that  he  knows  not  to  what  race  he  belongs  who 
has  never  gazed  upon  such  a  man  as  Bigelow.  If  an 
angel  were  to  move  among  us  in  celestial  sheen,  with 
what  sublimity  would  he  inspire  us!  But  how  much 
more  is  it  to  see  moral  majesty  and  beauty  beaming  from 
human  clay!" 


4:28  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

HENEY     B.     BASCOM. 

BASCOM  was  emphatically  a  western  man.  Early  taken 
to  the  head  waters  of  the  Alleghany,  and  reared  amid  the 
wild  scenery  of  his  forest  home,  his  mind  took  its  hue  and 
coloring  from  those  deep  glens  and  craggy  mountains; 
and  the  native  bent  which  was  given  to  his  genius,  from 
the  sublime  and  picturesque  scenes  around  him,  grew 
with  his  growth  and  strengthened  with  his  strength. 
But  though  reared  in  the  west,  and  identified  with  its  nu- 
merous interests,  and  its  rapidly-expanding  prosperity,  he 
was  not  contracted  in  his  views.  His  mind  seemed  to 
have  been  framed  upon  the  same  grand  scale,  in  which 
the  Creator  had  constructed  the  broad  prairies,  and  mighty 
rivers,  and  towering  mountains  of  the  west.  The  whole 
country,  from  where  Atlantic  surges  wash  the  rocky, 
sterile  shores  of  New  England,  to  where  the  Pacific's  blue 
waters  lave  the  golden  sands  of  California,  was  his  home, 
and  he  embraced  the  whole  in  his  broad  catholic  sympa- 
thies. With  him  there  was  no  north,  no  south,  no  east, 
no  west ;  and  in  this  respect  his  mind  had  a  Websterian 
cast — massy,  boundless  in  its  sympathies  and  aims;  or, 
like  to  that  of  the  immortal  Clay,  whose  friend  he  was 
during  his  whole  life,  he  rose  above  all  sectional  views, 
soared  beyond  all  sectional  lines,  and  embraced  his  entire 
country  in  the  arms  of  his  benevolence. 

As  Webster,  and  Clay,  and  Calhoun  were  types  of  a 
race  of  statesmen,  which  have  passed  away  from  the 
political  world,  so  may  we  say  of  a  Fisk,  Olin,  and  Bascom, 


WKSTEBN    METHODISM.  429 

they  were  types  of  a  race  of  preachers,  which,  as  the  rare 
products  of  an  age  that  is  passing,  may  take  a  century  to 
produce  their  like  again.  We  would  not  be  sectarian, 
though  we  thus  confine  our  comparison  to  the  Methodist 
Church ;  and  yet,  for  solid  learning,  deep  piety,  and  sublime 
eloquence  in  the  pulpit  and  on  the  platform,  we  know  not 
their  superiors  in  any  age  that  is  past,  as  exhibited  in  any 
of  the  Churches  of  the  land.  They  may  not  have  ex- 
celled in  Biblical  learning,  or  devoted  piety,  or  pulpit 
eloquence,  according  to  the  standards  of  the  great  master 
minds  of  some  other  Churches,  but,  according  to  our  judg- 
ment, none  excelled  them  in  a  union  of  all  these. 

However  pleasant  and  perhaps  profitable  it  might  be  to 
indulge  in  such  a  train  of  thought,  and  pursue  it  so  as  to 
resolve,  as  far  as  possible,  the  distinguished  traits  which 
characterized  these  great  minds  into  their  elements,  and 
thereby  form  an  analysis  for  the  study  of  the  youth  of  the 
present  day — a  model  upon  which  future  character  might 
be  constructed — we  must  forego  that  pleasure,  and  proceed 
at  once  to  the  subject  of  our  chapter. 

There  was  something  very  remarkable  in  the  youth  of 
Bascom.  Very  soon  after  his  conversion,  which  occurred 
at  a  camp  meeting  on  Oil  creek,  he  gave  evidence,  in  the 
relation  of  his  religious  experience  and  prayers,  of  a 
power  and  eloquence  unusual  to  boys  of  his  age.  At  one 
time  he  went  from  home  to  attend  a  quarterly  meeting  at 
Franklin.  His  singular  appearance,  with  his  fox-skin  cap 
and  rude  backwoods  dress,  attracted  the  attention  of 
every  one  present;  but  when,  at  love- feast,  on  Sabbath 
morning,  he  rose  and  spoke  of  his  conversion  and  the 
love  of  a  Savior,  every  heart  was  thrilled,  and  as  the 
rough  exterior  sparkled  with  the  light  and  fire  of  the  soul 
within,  the  people  wondered  more  at  the  boy  than  they 
had  before  been  surprised  at  the  rusticity  of  his  appear- 
ance. 


4:30  SKETCHES    OF 

On  Monday  morning,  Mr.  William  Connelley,  who  was 
a  merchant  in  Franklin,  took  him  to  his  store  and  gave 
him  a  new  hat  and  some  other  articles  to  fit  up  his  ward- 
robe. Mr.  C.  was  subsequently,  for  several  years,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature,  and  from  some  cause 
or  other  lost  his  property  and  became  poor.  Traveling  in 
the  west,  he  stopped  at  Cincinnati,  and  being  destitute 
of  means,  among  strangers,  he  called  upon  Dr.  Elliott,  in 
Cincinnati,  and  asked  for  the  loan  of  a  few  dollars  to  take 
him  home.  The  Doctor  promptly  took  out  his  wallet  and 
handed  him  all  he  desired,  saying,  "Take  that,  brother, 
and  welcome,  for  giving  young  Bascom  a  hat." 

Soon  after  his  father  removed  to  the  wilds  of  the  west, 
and  settled  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  nearly  opposite  to 
where  the  city  of  Maysville  now  stands,  where  he  en- 
gaged with  his  family  in  farming  pursuits.  Many  years 
afterward,  while  a  professor  of  moral  science  at  Augusta, 
he  often  visited  the  residence  of  his  father,  several  miles 
above,  on  the  Ohio  side  of  the  river.  Here  he  has  been 
seen  with  his  coat  off,  and  with  mattock  in  hand,  grubbing 
out  the  roots  and  briers  of  the  soil.  One  season  he  pre- 
pared the  soil  and  tended  twelve  acres  of  corn,  at  the 
same  time  attending  to  all  his  duties  in  College. 

In  the  year  1812,  at  a  quarterly  conference,  held  on  the 
Scioto,  not  far  from  Portsmouth,  in  a  stone  house  still 
standing,  he  was  recommended  to  the  Western  conference, 
to  be  received  into  the  traveling  connection.  That  rec- 
ommendation, written  and  signed  by  the  Rev.  Robert  W. 
Finley,  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Dr.  Elliott,  together 
with  numerous  other  documents  of  olden  time,  pertaining 
to  Methodism  in  the  west. 

His  peculiar  talents  as  a  preacher  were  early  developed. 
He  seemed  at  once  to  rise  to  eminence  as  a  pulpit  orator. 
The  graces  of  oratory,  which  others  gain,  like  Demosthenes, 
by  a  severe  and  tedious  process,  with  him  were  gifts  of 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  431 

nature,  and  not  the  product  of  education.  We  are 
strongly  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  the  proverb  " poeta 
•natcitur  non  Jit,"  applies  with  equal  force  to  orators, 
though  perhaps  not  to  the  same  degree.  Such  was  the 
case,  we  believe,  with  Bascom;  he  was  born  an  orator,  and 
to  have  cast  his  genius  in  any  model  would  have  destroyed 
his  power.  God  makes  but  few  such  men.  Towering  up 
like  Himalaya,  or  sublimely  grand  like  Niagara,  they 
stand  out  apart  from  their  species  to  excite  our  wonder. 

We  were  forcibly  struck  with  the  saying  of  a  grave 
divine,  who  had  been  listening  with  intense  and  thrilling 
interest  to  Bascom  in  one  of  his  loftiest  moods,  and  who, 
on  being  asked,  after  the  sermon,  what  he  thought  of  the 
man,  replied,  "I  did  not  think  of  the  man  at  all.  My 
mind  was  wholly  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  the 
character  of  the  God  who  created  him."  Exhibitions  of 
greatness  and  power  in  nature  invariably  send  us  up  to 
nature's  God.  We  wondered  not  at  the  saying  of  this 
grave  and  talented  divine.  Similar  impressions  have 
doubtless  been  elicited  from  others.  Who  that  witnesses 
the  tempest  careering  in  majesty  and  leveling  forests  in 
its  course,  but  has  his  thoughts  transferred  to  the  awful 
Being  who  "  rides  upon  the  whirlwind  and  directs  the 
storm?"  We  once  kneeled  down  on  the  verge  of  an 
overhanging  cliff,  and  turned  our  ear  to  take  in  the  full 
thunder  of  Niagara,  as  it  rolled,  a  hundred  feet  below 
us,  its  everlasting  bass,  and  such  a  sense  of  the  majesty 
and  power  of  God  possessed  us,  as  we  were  never  con- 
scious of  before.  We  rose  from  our  knees  and  shouted, 
"God!" 

Father  Taylor,  of  Boston,  himself  a  child  of  nature, 
and  boiling  over  with  native  eloquence  and  wit,  was  once 
listening  to  Bascom,  as  he  was  delivering  one  of  his 
series  of  lectures  on  Infidelity,  in  Green-Street  Church, 
New  York.  The  old  man  eloquent  stood  by  one  of  the 


432  SKETCHES    OF 

pillars  that  support  the  gallery,  and  not  far  from  the 
pulpit.  As  the  lecturer  proceeded,  Father  Taylor  became 
more  and  more  interested,  and  he  was  seen,  unconsciously, 
to  begin  to  raise  his  cane,  elevating  it  gradually,  as 
though  he  was  indicating  the  orator's  progress.  There 
he  stood,  like  a  statue  slightly  inclined,  drinking  in  every 
word  till  he  heard  the  last,  when,  with  his  cane  finally 
extended  at  arm's  length  above  his  head,  he  exclaimed, 
"Grand!" 

Blessed  with  extraordinary  powers,  and  a  brilliant  native 
genius,  all  that  he  needed  was  an  appropriate  direction, 
and  a  cultivation  correspondent  thereto;  and  we  most 
firmly  believe  that,  in  the  order  of  Providence,  he  was 
thrown  into  the  very  sphere  of  life  where  he  was  fitted  to 
move,  with  as  much  adaptation,  in  regard  to  his  nature, 
as  the  planets  are  adapted  to  their  appointed  spheres. 
Had  his  genius  been  cramped  by  the  laws  of  the  schools, 
which  are  often  about  as  useful  in  making  an  orator  as  a 
note-book  would  be  to  a  nightingale,  or  as  the  laws  of 
motion  and  sound  would  be  to  the  dash  and  roar  of 
Niagara,  the  thunder  of  whose  anthem  is  the  voice  of 
nature,  we  might  have  had,  and  doubtless  would  have 
had,  a  Bascom  polished  with  all  the  arts  of  elocution ;  but, 
like  the  nicely-adjusted  and  exquisitely-wrought  autom- 
aton, there  would  have  been  a  stiffness  in  his  move- 
ments ;  and  although  the  precision  which  should  mark 
them  would  indicate  the  wonderful  power  of  art,  still  we 
should  have  had  nothing  but  the  mimic  artificial  man. 

Nature  is  the  fountain  from  whence  the  orator  must 
draw  his  inspiration,  and  the  field  whereon  he  must 
develop  his  powers.  As  the  eagle,  who  soars  away  from 
the  homes  and  the  haunts  of  man,  to  bathe  his  undazzled 
eye  in  the  sunbeam,  and  pillow  his  breast  upon  the  storm, 
so  the  child  of  genius  must  become  familiar  with  Nature 
in  all  her  aspects.  One  of  the  most  eloquent  divines,  of 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  433 

the  same  school  of  theology  to  which  Bascom  belonged, 
discourses  thus  on  this  subject:  "The  orator  must  be 
much  at  home,  that  is,  he  must  study  himself;  his  own 
nature,  and  powers,  and  states  of  mind;  and  he  must  be 
much  abroad,  that  is,  he  must  go  out  and  study  Nature  in 
all  her  moods."  It  is  said  of  Cole,  the  great  artist,  that 
he  studied  Nature  instead  of  the  great  masters,  and  the 
result  was,  that  he  excelled  all  the  artists  of  his  day,  in 
transferring  natural  scenery  to  the  canvas.  His  "  Gar- 
den of  Eden,"  and  "  Voyage  of  Life,"  two  of  the  greatest 
productions  of  his  pencil,  were  conceived  from  nature. 
As  all  the  lines  of  Nature  are  lines  of  beauty,  so  are  all 
her  movements,  and  he  who  would  be  truly  effective  and 
graceful  as  an  orator,  must  follow  no  other  copy.  Bas- 
com has  been  heard  to  say,  in  reference  to  the  composi- 
tion of  his  sermons,  that  a  room  was  so  contracted  it  had 
an  influence  upon  his  thoughts,  and  he  could  only  think 
freely  and  grandly  when  out  in  the  midst  of  nature, 
beneath  her  boundless  skies  and  extended  landscapes. 
It  is  said  that  an  Indian  mound,  in  Kentucky,  is  pointed 
out  to  the  traveler  as  the  spot  whereon  he  composed 
some  of  his  greatest  sermons. 

It  is  seldom  we  see  the  blessings  of  poverty,  and  yet  we 
believe  that  the  very  curse  pronounced  on  man  in  Eden,  has 
been  attended  with  the  greatest  blessings,  and  has  wrought 
out  the  most  incalculable  good  to  man.  Bascom's  fathei 
was  poor,  and  in  addition  to  this  he  had  a  large  family 
to  maintain  by  the  sweat  of  his  face.  Had  he  been  rich, 
the  probability  is  that  young  Henry  would  have  been 
sent  to  college,  and  then  the  idea  of  his  being  an  itin- 
erant preacher  would  have  never  been  conceived.  ,  Hav- 
ing received  but  a  limited  education,  at  the  early  age  of 
sixteen  he  entered  the  itinerancy  as  a  freshman,  in  one 
of  nature's  colleges,  in  western  Virginia. 

The  records  of  the  Church  show  us,  that  he  was 
37 


434  SKETCHES   OF 

received  into  the  ranks  of  the  itinerancy  in  the  year  1814, 
and  went  through  his  preparatory  course  in  the  wilds  of 
Ohio,  as  the  colleague  of  the  Rev.  Alexander  Cummins; 
and  after  having  completed  his  academical  curriculum,  he 
was  sent  out  alone,  the  following  year,  to  the  wilder  re- 
gions of  western  Virginia,  to  travel  the  Gruyandotte  circuit. 
We  have  already  spoken  of  the  grand  and  gloomy  scenery 
embraced  in  this  extensive  circuit.  Here  he  was  sub- 
jected to  all  sorts  of  privation,  toils,  and  hardship,  but  he 
endured  all  as  a  good  soldier;  and  it  was  here,  ascending 
the  towering  hights,  or  urging  his  way  through  the  deep 
mountain  gorges,  or  plunging  into  the  rapid  rivers  and 
breasting  their  swelling  tides,  that  his  character  as  a 
preacher  was  developed.  Frequently  did  he  have  to 
travel  forty  miles  a  day,  through  the  unbroken  solitudes 
of  the  wilderness,  without  rest,  without  food,  and  at  night, 
in  some  lone  cabin,  would  he  pour  out  his  full  heart, 
in  strains  of  Gospel  eloquence,  upon  the  rude  and  simple- 
hearted  backwoods  hunters,  collected  from  diiferenfc  and 
distant  points  to  hear  him.  On  one  of  his  solitary  jour- 
neys he  was  followed  for  several  miles  by  a  large  panther, 
which  threatened  at  every  moment  to  spring  upon  him, 
and  from  which  he  was  only  rescued  by  reaching,  at  night- 
fall, the  cabin  of  a  settler.  Here,  when  he  had  a  few 
hours  for  rest,  would  he  retire  to  the  woods  as  his  study, 
and  amid  the  rocks  and  grand  old  trees,  all  standing  as 
nature  made  them,  untouched  by  the  hand  of  man,  he 
would  prepare  his  sermons.  This  he  would  do  by  walking 
back  and  forth,  forming  his  plans,  selecting  his  words, 
constructing  his  sentences,  and  uttering  them ;  which 
being  done,  he  would  lay  them  up  in  the  capacious  store- 
house of  his  memory,  to  be  brought  therefrom  at  his 
bidding,  with  all  the  rapidity  of  thought.  We  believe 
that  this  custom,  adopted  from  necessity  in  the  woods— 
for  in  a  region  infested  with  rattlesnakes  and  panthers, 


WESTKBN   METHODISM.  435 

it  would  not  be  safe  to  sit  or  recline — he  transferred  to 
the  parlor  and  the  garden,  in  towns  and  cities. 

At  one  time  he  ventured  to  recline,  with  his  Bible, 
beneath  the  towering,  outspreading  branches  of  an  oak, 
at  one  of  his  distant  appointments,  near  the  head  waters 
of  Elk  river.     He  possessed,  to  a  great  degree,  the  power 
of  abstraction,  and  it  was  not  long  till  his  soul  was  in- 
tently engaged  in  taking  full  draughts  from  the  fountain 
of  inspiration.     In  the  midst  of  his  spirit  reverie  he  was 
aroused  by  the  cry  of  a  hunter,  in  tremulous  tones,  telling 
him,  at  the  peril  of  his  life,  to  lie  still  till  he  fired. 
Quickly  glancing  his  eye  in  the  direction  from  whence 
the  voice  came,  he  saw  his  friend,  with  his  rifle  elevated, 
i  and   pointing  toward   the  branches  of  the   tree   under 
which  he  was  lying.     Familiar  as  he  was  with  backwoods 
life,  Bascom  saw  that  some  terrible  danger  was  hovering 
over  him,  and  without  the  least  perceptible  motion  of  his 
body,  he  turned  his  gaze  upward,  when  he  saw  on  the 
branch  of  the  tree,  just  over  him,  and  not  more  than 
twenty  feet  distant,  a  huge  panther,  drawn  up  and  just 
ready  for  a  spring.     It  was  a  fearful,  awful  moment     The 
least  motion  on  his  part  would  have  been  the  signal  for 
a  spring,  and  his  fate  would  have  been  sealed  forever. 
In  that  awful  moment,  when  death  seemed  inevitable, 
with  a  self-control  and  a  courage  truly  wonderful,  he  con- 
tinued perfectly  quiet,  till  the  keen  crack  of  the  rifle  was 
heard,  and  the  ferocious  beast,  pierced  by  the  unerring 
aim  of  the  backwoods  hunter,  fell  lifeless  by  his  side. 

At  another  time,  while  traveling  this  same  circuit,  he 
gtopped,  on  his  way  to  an  appointment,  at  a  log-cabin, 
recently  erected  by  the  road-side.  Stopping  for  rest  and 
refreshment,  not  long  after  dinner  was  ready,  and  he 
sat  down  with  the  family  to  dine.  A  lovely  little  child, 
about  three  years  of  age,  which  had  attracted  his  attention 
by  its  innocent  mirth  and  its  gentleness,  was  playing 


4:36  SKETCHES    OF 

before  the  door,  while  the  family  were  engaged  around 
the  homely  repast,  when  suddenly  a  heart-piercing  cry 
was  heard. 

"  My  child !  my  child !"  screamed  the  mother,  and 
quick  as  thought  all  rushed  to  the  door. 

Father  of  mercies !  what  a  sight  was  presented  to  that 
fond  mother  !  A  terrible  panther  had  sprung  upon  that 
unconscious  child,  and  was  ascending  a  tree  with  it  in  his 
mouth. 

"  The  gun  !  the  gun  !  quick,  for  God's  sake,  the  gun  I" 
franticly  exclaimed  the  father. 

But  Bascom  had  seized  it  from  the  rack,  and  was 
already  in  quick  pursuit.  He  fired,  and  the  ball  pierced 
the  panther,  and  brought  him  to  the  ground  with  its 
victim ;  but,  alas !  life  had  fled.  Thus,  amid  such  wild 
scenes  and  daring  adventures,  the  first  years  of  our  young 
itinerant's  life  were  passed. 

When  the  fame  of  the  eloquent  young  preacher  first 
reached  our  ears,  we  were  traveling  on  the  West  Wheel- 
ing circuit,  in  another  part  of  the  conference.  Though 
rumor  spoke,  with  glowing  tongue,  of  his  matchless  arid 
enchanting  power  in  the  pulpit,  and  we  were  prepared,  us 
we  often  have  been  before,  by  such  exaggerated  descrip- 
tions, to  be  disappointed  when  we  should  have  the  oppor 
tunity  of  hearing  him,  yet,  when  that  time  came,  which 
it  did  at  conference,  where  he  was  literally  surrounded 
with  a  battery  of  critics'  eyes,  in  the  persons  of  preachers, 
we  were  ready  to  say,  after  a  long-drawn  breath,  when  he 
had  ended  a  most  intensely-thrilling  discourse,  in  the 
language  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  on  her  visit  to  Solomon, 
"  The  half  had  not  been  told  us."  Those  who  never  heard 
him  till  after  his  soul  had  been  caged  in  the  cramped 
and  narrow  cell  of  scholastic  study,  and  shorn  of  its 
freshness,  strength,  and  power,  by  inhaling  the  atmosphere 
of  a  pent-up  city  life,  can  have  but  a  faint  conception  of 


WESTKKN    METHODISM.  437 

what  he  was,  when  he  communed  with  nature  and  nature's 
God,  and  breathed  the  pure  air  of  the  mountain,  in  the 
bright  and  palmy  days  of  his  itinerant  life.  In  the  ex- 
pressive language  of  one  who  was  intimately  acquainted 
with  him,  "  Those  who  heard  him  then  will  never  forget 
the  feelings  that  he  produced.  The  deep,  thrilling  tones 
of  a  voice  then  unimpaired  by  hardship  and  overexertion, 
now  melting  into  the  soft,  melodious  accents  of  love,  and 
now  bursting  .forth  in  thundering  denunciations  of  the 
world's  ungodliness,  never  failed  to  stamp  upon  the  hearts 
of  his  hearers  impressions  lasting  as  life  itself.  At  one 
moment  his  audience,  moved  by  the  charming  pictures  of 
his  pencil,  would  be  all  radiant  with  smiles ;  at  another, 
the  pathetic,  touching,  and  heart-moving  scenes,  which 
he  would  describe,  would  force  tears  of  sympathy  down 
the  cheeks  of  the  most  obdurate;  and  then,  in  an  instant, 
by  the  magic  of  his  burning  eloquence,  he  would  make 
the  whole  congregation  tremble,  so  wondrous,  so  real,  so 
terrible  was  his  Rembrandt-sketch  of  the  doom  of  the 
impenitent.  He  controlled  his  audience  at  will.  Per- 
fectly familiar  with  all  the  motives  of  the  human  mind, 
and  all  the  impulses  of  the  heart,  he  could  cause  his 
hearers  to  smile  with  joy,  or  weep  with  penitence,  or 
tremble  with  remorse,  at  pleasure.  No  man  possessed  a 
more  fruitful  imagination.  His  descriptions  fairly  glit- 
tered with  poetic  gems.  Touched  by  his  master  hand, 
every  picture  of  life  assumed  the  charm  and  glow  of 
beauty,  or  glared  with  the  most  hideous  deformity,  just 
as  it  suited  his  purpose.  I  well  remember  a  discourse  on 
the  vanities  of  life,  delivered  by  him  some  years  ago  j  and 
never  did  all  the  charms  and  attractions  of  this  world 
appear  so  little  and  so  worthless  to  me  as  on  that  occasion. 
His  description  of  the  dalliances  of  the  world,  the  siren 
whisperings  of  Ambition,  and  the  luring  charms  of  Pleas* 
ure,  surpassed  in  beauty  and  power  any  thing  I  remem- 

37* 


4:38  SKETCHES    OF 

ber  to  have  heard  from  the  lips  of  man.  His  power  as 
an  orator  was,  no  doubt,  greatly  aided  by  his  fine  person, 
his  open,  manly,  honest  expression  of  countenance,  and 
his  keen,  piercing  black  eye.  That  eye  none  could  de- 
scribe. A  venerable  citizen,  who  knew  him  well,  has 
often  told  me  that,  while  Dr.  Bascom  was  preaching,  he 
could  never  'unfix'  his  gaze  from  that  earnest,  soul-pen- 
etrating eye.  'Why/  said  he,  'whenever  he  was  de- 
nouncing any  mean  passion,  or  secret,  ungodly  propensity, 
his  dark,  keen  eye  seemed  to  look  right  through  me,  and 
say  to  my  self-condemned  spirit,  '  "Thou  art  the  man."  ; 

He  possessed  that  indescribable  power,  that  magnetic 
charm,  if  we  may  so  term  it,  with  which  all  true  orators  are 
gifted,  and  which  never  fails  to  move  the  souls  of  men. 
What  he  described  was  real,  and  men  saw  it  and  felt  it 
as  a  thing  of  life.  A  deep,  earnest  soul,  and  resolute 
and  brave,  was  Henry  B.  Bascom.  We  will  relate  an 
incident  as  illustrative  of  his  character,  which  occurred 
when  he  was  connected  with  Augusta  College.  He  had 
crossed  the  river  to  attend  a  meeting.  During  his  dis- 
course in  the  evening,  he  took  occasion  to  come  down 
with  terrific,  scathing  denunciation  upon  the  profane 
swearer.  It  is  said  that  whatever  citadel  of  vice  or 
infidelity  he  attacked,  so  direct  and  powerful  was  his 
artillery,  that  he  left  nothing  but  the  smoldering  ruins. 
It  being  necessary  for  him  to  recross  the  river  that  night, 
it  was  agreed  by  a  number  of  rough  boatmen,  who  were 
writhing  under  his  sermon,  that  they  would  ferry  him 
over  and  retaliate  upon  him  for  his  severity.  Bascom 
entered  the  skiff,  and  they  started  from  the  shore.  They 
had  not  proceeded  far  till  they  commenced  a  concert  of 
oaths,  horrid  enough  to  make  the  cheek  of  darkness  itself 
turn  pale.  There  sat  the  preacher,  wrapped  up  in  his 
cloak,  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  apparently  unconscious 
of  what  was  transpiring.  They  became  enraged  at  his 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  439 

Stoicism,  and  raved  and  cursed  like  fiends  from  perdi- 
tion, who  had  graduated  in  the  dialect  of  the  damned. 
When  they  were  nearing  the  Kentucky  shore,  one  of 
them  asked  him  if  he  was  not  a  preacher.  To  this  he 
responded  in  the  affirmative. 

"  Why,  then,"  said  he,  "  don't  you  reprove  us  for  our 
swearing  ?" 

"  You  may  swear  till  you  break  your  necks,  for  aught 
that  I  care,"  replied  Bascom,  fully  conscious  of  their 
design  to  abuse  and  insult  him. 

One,  who  in  later  years  heard  Bascom,  said  of  him  as  a 
preacher,  "His  delivery,  naturally  most  eloquent,  was 
injured,  strangely  as  the  assertion  may  sound,  by  being 
made  to  conform  exactly  to  the  matter  delivered.  It  was 
his  writing,  in  other  words,  that  marred  his  delivery.  Had 
he  always  spoken  without  writing,  and  formed  the  habit 
of  easy,  correct,  extempore  elocution,  he  would  have  been 
almost  any  thing  that  eloquence  could  have  demanded." 
Had  this  friend  known  him  in  his  early  days,  and  been 
permitted  to  have  heard  him,  he  never  would  have 
gpoken  thus,  because  Bascom  had  formed  the  very  "  habit" 
of  which  he  speaks,  and  had  attained  the  high  position 
for  eloquence  which  such  a  habit  secured.  This  criticism 
serves  as  an  illustration  of  what  we  have  already  said; 
namely,  that  the  systems  of  the  schools,  which,  unfortu- 
nately, controlled  him  in  after  life,  was  what,  to  a  great 
extent,  destroyed  his  power  as  an  orator.  It  was,  in 
truth,  "writing  that  marred  his  speaking;"  but,  notwith- 
standing all  these  disabilities,  we  aver  that  he  had  no 
superior  in  the  world.  Other  speakers  may  have  excelled 
in  the  beautiful,  or  the  pathetic,  or  the  fanciful,  but  foi 
sublimity  and  grandeur,  either  as  it  regarded  matter  or 
manner,  we  confidently  believe  he  was  without  a  rival. 
We  have  heard  him  when  it  was  painful  to  listen;  when 
the  souls  of  his  vast  auditory,  wrought  up  to  the  highest 


440  SKETCHES    OF 

intensity  by  his  awfully-sublime  descriptions,  seemed 
ready  to  burst  with  emotion.  Nor  yet  was  he  wanting 
in  the  beautiful.  We  have  been  borne  away  by  his  elo- 
quence, as  on  beds  of  violets,  to  soft  elysian  bowers,  and 
have  almost  breathed  the  air  and  heard  the  songs  of 
heaven.  But  we  have  a  word  more  in  regard  to  the 
knowledge  and  eloquence  which  is  to  be  derived  from  the 
study  of  nature.  In  this  age,  when  books  and  colleges 
are  flooding  the  land,  it  would  be  well  for  us  to  call  our- 
selves back  a  little  to  the  study  of  nature,  where  we  find 

"  Books  in  the  running  brooks, 
Sermons  in  stones." 

An  eloquent  divine,  at  the  head  of  one  of  our  colleges, 
says,  "  How  much  better  this  unwritten  knowledge  than 
all  written  :  it  is  unerring,  adapted  to  each  case.  It  was 
an  experiment  of  modern  times  to  restore  a  sick  body  by 
transfusing  the  blood  of  a  healthy  one  into  its  veins ;  but 
it  was  unsuccessful,  because  the  transfused  current  was 
not  in  a  proper  relation  to  the  vessels  which  received  it : 
it  irritated  and  bloated  the  sinking  system.  Too  much  of 
our  learning  is  of  this  kind — a  transfusion  of  thought  into 
channels  unadapted  to  it,  which  only  vitiates  and  puffs 
them  up.  The  sick  soul,  like  the  sick  body,  must  restore 
itself;  its  vital  organs  must  be  aroused  to  vigorous  action 
before  its  streams  can  be  enriched  and  purified. 

"We  in  this  land  should  be  the  last  to  complain  of  bar- 
renness of  mind  ;  for  the  new  world  is  around  us.  Alas  ! 
alas  !  we  are  thrashing  over  and  over  again  the  old  world's 
dry  straw  instead  of  thrusting  the  sickle  into  the  new 
world's  green  and  waving  harvest.  These  cloud-capt  hills 
are  strewn  all  over  with  legends  ready  to  be  bound  into 
the  bundles  of  Homeric  odes  and  epics.  These  venerable 
woods  stand  thick  with  God's  own  thoughts ;  they  leap 
by  us  in  every  deer  that  crosses  our  path,  and  fall  upon 
us  in  every  descending  leaf.  New  forms  of  human  love, 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 

and  sympathy,  and  sin,  and  suffering,  look  out  from  those 
cabin  windows  and  burning  brush-heaps,  from  yonder 
cane-brakes  and  the  far-off  wigwams.  We  have  book- 
teachers  enough.  0  for  more  bookless  ones !" 

~\Ve  have  absolutely  been  sickened  at  the  stereotype 
process  by  which  preachers  have  been  made  in  our  col- 
leges. They  are  the  merest  casts  from  some  model 
teacher,  and  every  thing  about  them  is  an  imitation; 
their  very  tone  of  voice  and  manner  of  delivery,  to  the 
pointing  of  a  finger,  or  the  shake  of  the  head,  and  even 
the  alamode  of  their  dress  and  walk  are  all  the  most 
gervile  imitation.  Nature  is  smothered  to  death,  and 
buried  beyond  the  hope  of  a  resurrection.  And  yet  we 
would  not  eschew  books  nor  colleges.  God  forbid !  We 
want  them  all,  but  we  want  natural  men,  whose  flash  and 
thunder  in  the  pulpit  come  from  the  Bible  and  the  great 
battery  of  nature.  Though  Bascom,  in  later  years,  had 
lost,  to  some  considerable  extent,  the  power  of 

"  Sending  his,  soul  with  every  lance  he  threw," 

yet  he  never  lost  the  power  to  charm,  and  he  never 
preached  to  an  audience  but  that 

"  Their  listening  powers 
Were  awed,  and  every  thought  in  silence  hung, 
In  wondering  expectation." 

What  Grattan  said  of  the  Irish  orator,  may  with  equal 
appropriateness  be  said  of  Bascom:  "When  young,  his 
eloquence  was  ocean  in  a  storm;  when  old,  it  was  ocean  in 
a  calm ;  but  whether  calm  or  storm,  the  same  great  ele- 
ment, the  sublimest  and  most  magnificent  phenomenon 
in  creation." 

But  there  were  other  traits  of  character,  concerning 
which  we  must  be  permitted  to  allude  in  our  sketch. 
Stern  and  sedate,  as  one  might  think,  wrapped  up  in  the 
solitude  of  his  own  thoughts  and  feelings,  he  possessed  a 


442  SKETCHES    OF 

heart  filled  with  the  kindliest  sympathies.  He  was  quite 
as  ready  to 

"Feel  another's  woe," 

and  to  hide  another's  faults,  as  many  who  have  consid- 
ered him  selfish  and  indifferent.  It  is  not  always  those 
who  have  the  most  feeling  that  give  evidence  of  it  in 
their  manner.  Some  hearts  are  like  fountains  on  the 
surface,  always  seen — open  to  the  gaze  of  all — others  are 
like  fountains  hidden  among  the  rocks,  yet  clear,  trans- 
parent, full,  and  free.  A  frown  may  sometimes  be  on  the 
brow,  and  the  tearless  eye  indicate  no  feeling,  when  the 
heart  is  ready  to  break  with  tenderness  ;  and  then,  again, 
we  have  seen  smiles  spread  over  the  countenance,  when 
stormy  passions  raged  within.  God  looks  at  the  heart, 
and  we  are  to  judge  no  man  from  appearance.  Indeed, 
one  of  Bascom's  faults,  if  it  were  a  fault,  was  almost  in- 
variably to  take  the  part  of  the  oppressed,  or  to  choose  the 
weaker  side  of  almost  any  question,  without  duly  weighing 
the  merits  thereof.  His  error,  however,  in  this  respect, 
was  pardonable.  To  pursue  a  man  to  "  the  bitter  end," 
because  of  a  difference  of  opinion,  and,  with  bigotry  and 
prejudice,  question  his  motives  and  condemn  his  actions, 
was  never  the  character  of  Bascom.  He  was  above  it,  as 
far  as  the  towering  Alps,  which  bathes  its  pure  summit 
in  the  light  of  heaven,  is  above  the  clouds  and  mists  that 
creep  along  its  sides  and  encircle  its  base,  and  we  pity 
the  man  who  could  pursue  so  noble  a  spirit,  or  breathe  an 
unworthy  suspicion  over  his  memory. 

But  he  was  independent ;  and  we  hesitate  not  to  say, 
that,  had  it  not  been  for  his  rare  and  commanding  tal- 
ents, he  never  would  have  been  regarded,  by  the  majority 
of  the  Church,  as  sufficiently  safe  to  have  been  intrusted 
with  any  prominent  ecclesiastical  position.  Never  was 
man,  from  the  very  commencement  of  his  ministerial 
career,  through  all  its  periods,  down  to  the  very  close 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  443 

almost  of  his  eventful  life,  more  stoutly,  bitterly,  perti 
naciously  opposed,  than  was  Bascom.  Providence  itself 
seemed  to  frown  upon  him,  as  he  struggled  with  the 
hardest  fortune  all  through  life.  But  why  was  this? 
We  have  thought  his  mighty  spirit  required  such  severe 
discipline  to  school  it  for  heaven.  Like  Schiller,  he 
literally  passed  through  storm,  and  tempest,  and  fire,  to 
heaven,  and  yet,  like  Elijah  and  Daniel,  he  went  un- 
Bcathed.  He  rose,  however,  despite  of  all  opposing  ob- 
stacles, to  the  highest  summit  of  human  greatness,  and  to 
the  occupancy  of  the  most  distinguished  posts  of  honor 
and  trust  in  the  gift  of  that  branch  of  the  Church  to 
which  he  belonged.  From  a  President  of  Madison  Col- 
lege, and  Professor,  in  Augusta,  he  was  promoted  to  the 
Presidency  of  Transylvania  University.  When  the  liter- 
ary department  of  that  institution  ceased,  he  was  elected 
jeditor  of  the  Southern  Quarterly  Review,  and  finally  a 
bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South,  which 
distinguished  office  he  held  when  he  died. 

Much  might  be  said  of  this  great  man  in  Israel,  who 
jhas  been  taken  from  our  midst.  We  are  sorry  we  could 
inot  do  the  subject  more  justice.  Had  it  not  been  that 
our  sketches  of  western  preachers  would  have  been  in- 
1  complete  without  a  notice  of  one  who  grew  up  in  our 
imidst,  and  filled  the  country  with  his  fame,  we  would  not 
ihave  undertaken  it.  What  we  have  written  is  almost 
entirely  from  personal  recollection,  not  having  a  single 
scrap  of  material  within  our  reach.  We  are  aware  that 
his  life  has  been  written  and  published,  but,  with  all  our 
!  efforts,  we  have  not  been  able  to  procure  a  copy  j  and  we 
ihad  delayed  writing  this  sketch  till  this  late  hour  in  the 
,  composition  of  our  book,  hoping  to  have  some  data  from 
which  to  draw,  to  enable  us  to  give  a  more  satisfactory 
:  outline  of  the  life  and  character  of  that  wonderful  many 
but  we  have  been  disappointed.  We  hope  our  readers 


444  SKETCHES   OF 

will  regard  it  as  a  slight  tribute  to  the  memory  of  one 
whom  we  regarded  as  the  greatest  of  American  pulpit 
orators. 

He  is  gone.  Our  Bascom  is  no  more.  The  light  that 
shone,  kindled  from  God's  altar,  in  that  intellect,  which 
was  clear  as  an  angel's,  has  not  gone  out;  it  has  only 
ceased  to  shed  its  radiance  and  glory  upon  the  earthly 
sphere.  In  yonder  heaven;  undimmed,  it  shines  forever. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  445 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

SAMUEL     HAMILTON. 

IN  apostolic  times  there  was  among  the  ministers  of 
Jesus  a  Paul,  an  Apollos,  and  a  Cephas,  all  possessing 
striking  characteristics,  that  in  the  wide  range,  under 
the  diversities  of  gifts  communicated,  the  Church  might 
be  supplied  with  a  ministry  adapted  to  all  its  peculiari- 
ties. This  variety,  in  the  order  of  Providence,  has  been 
kept  up  in  the  Church  to  the  present  day.  The  keen, 
[ogical  mind  of  a  Paul,  the  fervid  eloquence  of  an  Apol- 
las,  the  intrepid  boldness  and  zeal  of  a  Peter,  and  the 
mild,  persuasive,  simple  eloquence  of  a  John,  all  have 
;heir  representatives  in  ministers  of  the  present  day. 
Such  a  variety  in  mental  constitution,  physical  tempera- 
ment, disposition,  and  education  is  admirably  adapted  to 
the  itinerant  system  of  the  Methodist  Church,  because 
the  variety  of  talent  is  diffused  over  the  Church,  and 
there  can  be  no  monopoly  of  any  peculiar  gifts,  grace,  01 
usefulness,  as  exhibited  in  the  ministry,  by  any  one  par 
icular  congregation.  We  have  often  thought  there  was 
as  much  difference  in  the  mental  as  in  the  physical  con- 
stitution and  conformation  of  our  race,  and  that  every 
man  possessed  an  individual  character  peculiar  to  him 
self,  and  as  distinguishable  from  the  rest  of  his  species 
as  his  features  differed  from  all  others;  and  that  it  would 
>e  as  impossible  to  find  two  minds  exactly  alike  in  every 
respect  as  it  would  be  to  find  two  faces  exactly  corre- 
sponding in  features. 

As  it  regarded  the  toils,  and  hardships,  and  privations 
88 


446  SKETCHES    OF 

of  the  early  preachers  of  the  west,  there  was  a  wonderful 
identity.  There  was  then  no  post  of  ease  and  honor  to 
be  occupied  by  a  Methodist  preacher — no  presidencies 
and  professorships  of  colleges,  no  editorships  or  agencies, 
no  splendid  stations  with  large  salaries,  no  easy  circuits 
with  only  Sabbath  appointments,  to  be  reached  on  turn- 
pikes and  railroads — no,  there  were  none  of  these  things  • 
and  yet  the  ministers  of  those  days  went  to  their  work, 
and  continued  in  it  as  cheerfully  as  the  ministers  of  the 
present  day  fill  the  various  appointments  assigned  them. 
But  while  among  the  early  preachers  there  was  an  iden- 
tity iii  regard  both  to  the  kind  and  quantity  of  labor  in 
which  they  were  engaged,  there  was,  nevertheless,  as 
great  a  diversity  of  talent  as  is  found  among  them  at  the 
present  day.  We  will  not  particularize,  lest  we  should 
be  considered  presumptuous,  or,  perhaps,  invidious  in  our 
comparisons;  but  whoever  reads  our  biographical  sketches, 
will  be  able  to  discover  diversities  of  temperament,  tal- 
ents, and  character  as  great  as  ever  characterized  the 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  in  any  period  of  the  Church's 
history. 

Samuel  Hamilton  belonged  to  a  class  distinctly  marked. 
His  position  among  the  itinerant  ranks  the  reader  will 
be  able  to  fix  after  he  shall  have  read  our  sketch.  He 
was  the  youngest  son  of  William  Hamilton,  who  emi- 
grated from  Western  Virginia,  in  1806,  and  settled  in 
the  wilds  of  Muskingum.  Having  purchased  his  land, 
und  made  every  preparation  for  settling  upon  it,  he 
called  all  the  members  of  his  household  together,  and, 
like  Abram  in  Mamre,  erected  an  altar,  and  consecrated 
his  family  and  possessions  all  to  God.  This  patriarch, 
with  his  devoted  and  pious  wife,  having  given  themselves 
and  children  to  God  in  an  everlasting  covenant,  were  en- 
couraged, by  God's  promise,  to  expect  that  the  children 
of  their  faith,  and  prayer,  and  godly  example,  would  soon 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  447 

give  evidence  of  the  work  of  grace  upon  their  hearts. 
At  the  removal  of  his  father  to  Ohio,  Samuel  was  in  the 
fifteenth  year  of  his  age.  His  mind  was  early  impressed 
with  the  importance  of  religion,  and  his  tears  and  pray- 
ers gave  evidence  that  the  world  and  its  pleasures  could 
not  fill  the  aching  void  in  his  aspiring  soul.  In  the  year 
1812,  when  he  was  in  the  twenty-first  year  of  his  age,  he 
attended  a  camp  meeting,  held  on  the  lands  of  Joseph 
Thrap,  in  the  bounds  of  Knox  circuit,  where  he  was  pow- 
erfully awakened  under  the  ministration  of  God's  word. 
It  was  impossible  for  him  to  suppress  the  deep  and  over- 
whelming convictions  of  his  soul,  and  in  agony  he  cried 
aloud  for  mercy.  For  days  and  nights,  in  a  distress  bor- 
dering upon  despair,  he  sought  for  pardon.  We  had 
witnessed  his  anguish,  and  the  unavailing  cries  of  his 
heart  for  mercy,  and  all  the  sympathies  of  our  nature 
Were  deeply  aroused  in  his  behalf.  We  took  him  to  the 
woods,  and  there,  in  the  solitude  and  deep  silence  of  the 
night,  with  the  curtains  of  darkness  around  us,  we  fell 
prostrate  before  God  in  prayer.  We  arose  upon  our 
knees,  and  embraced  him  in  our  arms,  while,  with 
streaming  eyes  and  faltering  voice,  he  exclaimed,  "O 
Lord,  I  do  believe  !  Help  thou  mine  unbelief!"  Then, 
in  a  moment,  quick  as  thought  conveyed  by  lightning, 
the  blessing  of  pardon  came  down,  and  heaven  filled  his 
soul.  Instantly  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  and,  like  the  man 
in  the  "  beautiful  porch,"  he  "  leaped,  and  shouted,  and 
praised  God"  for  the  delivering  grace  he  had  obtained 
in  that  distressful  hour. 

At  this  time  we  were  traveling  the  circuit  on  which 
his  father  lived,  and  we  had  the  pleasure  of  aiding  the 
young  convert  in  taking  up  his  cross.  He  was  zealous, 
determined,  and  active,  and  the  Church  and  world  alike 
saw  that  God  had  a  work  for  him  to  do.  He  exercised 
his  gifts  in  exhortation,  and  sinners  were  awakened  and 


448  SKETCHES    OF 

converted  through  his  instrumentalit}7.  In  the  year 
1814,  at  the  conference  held  in  Cincinnati,  he  was  ad- 
mitted on  trial  as  a  traveling  preacher.  His  first  field  of 
labor  was  the  Kauawha  circuit.  The  circuits  in  Western 
Virginia  at  that  time  were  called  the  Colleges  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  where  the  young  preachers  were  sent 
to  get  their  theological  education,  or,  in  other  words, 
take  their  theological  course.  Sometimes  they  were 
called  "  Brush  Colleges ;"  at  other  times,  the  fields 
where  the  conference  broke  its  young  preachers.  Some 
of  the  most  prominent  of  our  western  preachers  took 
their  first  lessons  in  the  itinerancy  upon  this  field. 
Here,  amid  the  dense  forests  and  flowing  streams,  the 
logical  and  metaphysical  Shinn  pored  over  his  books,  on 
horseback,  as  he  traveled  to  distant  appointments;  and 
here,  among  the  craggy  mountains  and  deep  glens,  the 
eloquent  Bascom  caught  his  sublimest  inspirations.  In 
this  wild  region  the  preachers  had  to  encounter  much 
toil  and  hardship;  and  while  they  lived  on  the  simple 
fare  of  the  country,  consisting  of  hominy,  potatoes,  and 
"  mountain  groceries,"  they  were  not  afflicted  with  those 
fashionable  complaints  denominated  dyspepsia  and  bron- 
chitis. As  a  specimen  of  the  trials  of  Methodist 
preachers,  we  will  relate  an  incident  that  occured  in  the 
year  1836.  One  of  the  preachers  of  the  Ohio  confer- 
ence, having  reached  his  circuit,  and  finding  no  house 
for  his  family,  built  for  himself  a  shanty  out  of  slabs,  on 
the  bank  of  the  Gaulley  river.  Having  furnished  his 
wife  with  provisions  for  a  month — that  being  the  time 
required  to  perform  his  round — consisting  of  some  corn- 
meal  and  potatoes,  he  started  out  upon  his  circuit.  To 
reach  his  appointments,  which  were  sometimes  thirty 
miles  distant,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  take  an  early 
start.  One  morning,  after  he  had  progressed  about  half 
round  his  circuit,  he  started  for  an  appointment  which 


WE8TKKN    METHODISM  449 

lay  on  the  other  side  of  one  of  the  Gaulley  mountains. 
It  had  rained  through  the  night,  and  having  frozen,  the 
earth  was  covered  with  a  sheet  of  ice.  The  travel  was 
difficult  even  on  level  ground,  so  slippery  was  the  surface ; 
and  unless  it  should  thaw,  the  itinerant  felt  an  appre- 
hension that  it  would  he  difficult  to  ascend  the  steep 
sides  of  the  mountain.  Instead  of  thawing,  however, 
the  weather  grew  colder;  but  there  was  no  retreat.  His 
ippointment  was  before  him,  and  the  mountain  must  be 
crossed.  At  length,  after  passing  for  some  distance 
through  a  narrow  valley,  he  came  to  the  point  where  his 
narrow  path  led  up  the  ascent.  It  was  steep  and  diffi- 
cult, and  his  horse  would  frequently  slip  as  he  urged  him 
on.  On  the  right  the  mountain  towered  far  above,  and 
On  the  left,  far  down,  were  deep  and  frightful  precipices; 
a  single  misstep,  and  horse  and  rider  would  be  dashed  to 
pieces  on  the  rocks  below.  After  ascending  about  two- 
thirds  of  the  elevation,  he  came  to  a  place  in  his  mount- 
ain path  steeper  than  any  he  had  passed  over.  Urging 
his  tired  but  spirited  steed,  he  sought  to  ascend;  but  the 
horse  slipped.  Seeing  his  danger,  the  preacher  threw 
himself  off  on  the  upper  side,  and  the  noble  animal  went 
over  the  precipice,  bounding  from  rock  to  rock,  deep 
down  into  the  chasm  below.  The  preacher  retraced  his 
steps,  and  on  coming  round  to  the  point  where  his  horse 
had  fallen,  he  found  him  dead.  Taking  off  the  saddle, 
bridle,  and  saddle-bags,  he  lashed  them  to  his  back,  and 
resumed  his  journey,  reaching  his  appointment  in  time 
to  preach.  The  balance  of  the  round  was  performed  on 
foot,  and  at  the  expiration  of  four  weeks  from  the  time 
of  starting,  he  joined  his  companion  in  her  cabin,  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  thankful  for  the  providence  which 
had  returned  him  safely  home. 

Here   young   Hamilton  studied  theology  and  human 
nature,  in  both  of  which  he  became  well  versed.     His 

38* 


450  SKETCHES    OF 

preaching  talents  were  peculiar,  and  often  did  he  make 
his  discourses  sparkle  with  wit  and  eloquence.  Some- 
times he  would  indulge  in  a  rich  vein  of  humor,  which, 
without  letting  down  the  dignity  of  the  pulpit,  would 
send  a  thrill  of  delight  among  his  audience.  No  one 
enjoyed  a  little  pleasantry  more  than  himself;  and  having 
a  peculiar  horror  for  any  thing  like  a  sour  godliness,  he 
may,  at  times,  have  gone  a  little  too  far  over  to  the  other 
extreme.  He  had  a  quick  perception  of  the  ridiculous, 
and  was  not  very  well  ahle  to  command  himself  even  iu 
the  pulpit  when  any  thing  occurred  to  excite  that  sense 
in  his  mind.  AVe  recollect  of  his  telling  us  of  an  occa- 
sion of  this  kind,  which  occurred  at  a  meeting  on  the 
waters  of  the  Little  Kanawha.  At  a  certain  appointment 

there  lived  a  Colonel ,  whose  family  were  members 

of  the  Church,  and  who  had  a  respect  for  religion,  though 
he  was  too  fond  of  the  world  to  make  a  profession  thereof. 
He  was  regular  in  his  attendance,  and  on  the  occasion 
to  which  we  have  alluded,  he  was  in  his  seat,  attended  by 
a  neighbor  of  his,  who  was  respectable  enough,  with  the 
exception  that  at  times  he  would  lose  his  balance  under 
the  influence  of  intoxicating  liquor.  He  had  taken  on 
this  occasion  just  enough  to  make  him  loquacious  without 
being  boisterous.  Hamilton,  after  singing  and  prayer, 
arose  and  gave  out  for  his  text  the  first  Psalm,  which 
reads  as  follows :  "  Blessed  is  the  man  that  walketh  not 
in  the  counsel  of  the  ungodly,  nor  standeth  in  the  way 
of  sinners,  nor  sitteth  in  the  seat  of  the  scorner,"  etc. 
He  entered  upon  the  discussion  of  his  subject  by  showing 
what  was  to  be  understood  by  walking  in  the  counsel  of 
the  ungodly ;  and  as  he  entered  upon  the  description  of 
the  ungodly,  and  their  various  wicked  ways  and  bad 
examples,  he  saw  the  friend  of  the  Colonel  punch  him 
in  the  ribs  with  his  elbow,  and  overheard  him  say, 
''Colonel,  he  means  you."  "Be  still,"  said  the  Colonel, 


WEBTEKN    METHODISM.  451 

"you  will  disturb  the  congregation."  It  was  as  much  as 
the  preacher  could  do  to  control  his  risibles ;  but  he  pro- 
gressed with  his  subject;  and  as  he  described  another 
characteristic  of  the  ungodly  in  standing  in  the  way  of 
sinners,  the  force  of  the  application  was  too  strong  to  be 
resisted,  and  the  Colonel's  friend,  drawing  tip  closely, 
elbowed  him  again,  saying,  "He  certainly  means  you, 
Colonel."  "  Be  quiet,  the  preacher  will  see  you,"  whis- 
pered the  annoyed  man,  while  he  removed  as  far  from 
him  as  he  could  to  the  other  end  of  the  seat.  The 
preacher  had  arrived  at  the  third  characteristic  of  the 
ungodly;  and  as  he,  in  earnest  strains,  described  the 
scorner's  seat,  the  Colonel's  friend  turned  and  nodded  his 
head  at  him  most  significantly,  adding,  in  an  under  tone, 
"It's  you,  it's  you,  Colonel;  you  know  it's  you."  By 
this  time  the  most  of  the  congregation  were  aware  of 
what  was  going  on,  and  cast  significant  smiles  and  glan- 
ces at  one  another.  Those  who  understood  the  features 
of  the  speaker  could  easily  discover  that  he  was  moving 
along  under  a  heavy  press  of  feeling,  and  unless  some- 
thing should  occur  to  break  the  excitement,  he  must 
yield  to  the  impulses  of  his  nature.  Just  at  this  crisis 
a  little  black  dog  ran  up  the  aisle,  and,  stopping  directly 
in  front  of  the  pulpit,  looked  up  in  the  preacher's  face, 
and  commenced  barking.  The  scene  was  ludicrous 
enough;  but  how  was  it  hightened  when  the  Colonel's 
friend  rose  from  his  seat,  and  deliberately  marching  up 
the  aisle,  he  seized  the  dog  by  his  neck  and  back,  and 
began  to  shake  him,  exclaiming,  "  Tree  the  preacher,  will 
you?  tree  the  preacher,  will  you?"  Thus  he  kept  shak- 
ing and  repeating  what  we  have  written,  till  he  arrived 
at  the  door,  when,  amid  the  yells  of  the  dog  and  the 
general  tittering  of  the  audience,  he  threw  him  as  far  as 
he  could  into  the  yard.  This  was  too  much  for  Hamil- 
ton, and  he  sat  down  in  the  pulpit,  overcome  with  laugh- 


452  SKETCHES    OF 

ter.  It  would  have  been  impossible  for  him  to  have 
resumed  his  subject,  or  even  to  have  dismissed  the  con- 
gregation. Suffice  it  to  say,  that  preaching  was  done  for 
that  day;  and  ever  after,  when  the  Colonel  went  to  Church, 
he  was  careful  that  his  friend  was  not  by  his  side. 

Samuel  Hamilton  was  well  instructed  in  the  doctrines 
and  discipline,  and  peculiarities  of  Methodism,  and 
wherever  he  went  his  labors  were  appreciated,  and 
souls  were  blest.  His  next  field  of  labor  was  Barnes- 
ville  circuit;  and  having  completed  his  year  of  service  on 
that  field,  he  was  sent  successively  to  Steubenville  and 
Marietta.  While  on  the  Marietta  district,  subsequent  to 
this  date,  he  furnished  for  the  Methodist  Magazine  a 
sketch  of  Methodism  in  Washington  county,  which,  while 
it  will  give  the  reader  a  specimen  of  his  style  as  a  writer, 
will  also  furnish  a  faithful  history  of  the  first  settlement 
in  Ohio,  and  the  rise  and  progress  of  Methodism.  In 
his  preface  to  this  sketch  he  says,  "If  such  historical 
facts  have  not  buoyancy  enough  to  sustain  them  in  this 
age,  let  them  be  joined  to  others  more  buoyant,  and  they 
will  float  down  the  stream  of  time,  and  be  taken  up  by 
the  historian  of  coming  years  as  a  valuable  prize."  That 
his  facts  possess  buoyancy  enough  to  float  down  the 
stream  of  time,  we  leave  the  reader  to  judge. 

"The  county  of  Washington  was  the  first  organized 
county  in  the  North-Western  territory.  The  town  of 
Marietta,  the  seat  of  justice,  is  situated  at  the  junction 
of  the  Muskingum  and  Ohio  rivers,  in  latitude  thirty- 
nine  degrees,  twenty-eight  minutes,  and  forty-two  sec- 
onds north,  and  in  longitude  four  degrees,  twenty  min- 
utes west  of  the  city  of  Washington. 

"  In  1787  a  company  organized  themselves  in  Boston, 
and  took  the  name  of  '  The  Ohio  Company.'  The  prin- 
cipal part  of  this  company  were  officers  and  soldiers  in 
the  Revolutionary  war ;  men  who  had  spent  their  time. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  453 

Strength,  and  property  in  giving  birth  to  our  nation,  and 
Hrho  had  but  little  at  the  end  of  that  great  national 
struggle,  excepting  the  final  settlement-notes  given  them 
>y  the  Government,  as  a  remuneration  for  their  services. 
Chose  brave  fathers  of  our  nation,  being  unsupported  by 
>ensions,  found  it  difficult  to  submit  to  the  heavy  hand 
>f  poverty  in  a  country  full  of  wealth ;  they,  therefore, 
sxchanged  with  the  General  Government  their  final  set- 
lement-notes  for  a  million  and  a  half  acres  of  wild  land 
in  Ohio.  One  hundred  thousand  acres  of  this  land  were 
nven  to  actual  settlers — one  hundred  acres  each.  One 
•hirty-sixth  was  given  for  the  support  of  common  schools, 
ind  as  much  more  for  the  support  of  the  Gospel.  Two 
ownships — or  46,080  acres — were  given  for  the  support 
a  state  seminary.  All  this  was  done  to  invite  emi- 
grants, and  for  the  good  of  posterity. 

"  On  the  7th  of  April,  1788,  forty-seven  "men  landed 
n  the  spot  where  the  town  of  Mariet  a  now  stands.     No 
races  of  human  beings  were  to  be  seen,  excepting  the 
narks  of  the  ax-man  who   followed   the  surveyor,  the 
•ecently-deserted  wigwam  of  the  modern  Indian,  and  the 
aounds,  covered  ways,  and  "fortifications  of  a  people  'un- 
cnown  to  song.'     Immured  in  an  immense  wilderness, 
bis  band  of  brothers  were  permitted  to  taste  the  sweets 
f  solitude  for  a  season ;  but  the  temperate  climate,  fer- 
tile soil,  and  flattering  prospects  of  the  country,   soon 
induced  others  to  follow  them.     Thus  their  number  in- 
creased, and  their  prospects  brightened,  till  1790.     It 
was  then  found  that  the  country  could  muster  four  hun- 
dred and  forty-seven  men,   one  hundred  and  three  of 
whom  had  families.     But  as  their  prosperous  sun  was 
rising  to  its  meridian  splendor,  in  a  fatal  hour  it  was 
obscured  behind  a  dark  and  portentous  cloud ;  nor  did  it 
again  appear  with  its  wonted  brightness  for  four  years. 
"In  1791  the  Indians  became  hostile,  and  their  hos- 


454  SKETCHES    OF 

\ 

tilities  continued  for  four  years.  Considering  the  exposec 
situation  of  the  whites,  their  means  of  defense,  and  th( 
disparity  of  their  numbers,  it  is  utterly  astonishing  hoi 
they  sustained  the  shock  so  long.  Had  it  not  been  foi 
the  undaunted  courage,  unbending  fortitude,  and  pro- 
found skill  of  those  veterans,  who  had  been  educated  in 
the  school  of  danger,  they  must  have  fallen  victims  to 
the  relentless  fury  of  their  savage  enemy.  It  was  their 
business  to  defend  themselves.  This  they  did  so  effectu- 
ally that  they  lost  but  thirty  in  all — twenty-three  killed, 
and  seven  taken  prisoners.  In  1795  they  hailed  with 
delight  the  return  of  peace,  left  their  fortifications,  and 
returned  to  their  farms. 

"The  first  settlers  were  principally  Predestinarians, 
subdivided  into  Presbyterians,  Congregationalists,  and  a 
few  regular  Baptists.  Soon  after  the  first  company 
landed,  a  Church  was  organized  in  Marietta,  and  Doctor 
Story  became  the  officiating  minister  in  the  congregation. 
From  this  time  a  form  of  godliness  was  kept  up  by  them ; 
how  much  of  the  power  they  possessed  we  are  not  pre- 
pared to  say.  The  united  testimony,  however,  of  the 
people  who  lived  in  those  days,  and  saw  things  as  they 
were,  leads  us  to  conclude  that  vital  piety  was  at  a  low  ebb. 
Professors  appear  to  have  met  the  world's  people  on  mid- 
dle ground,  offered  up  a  peace-offering,  and  engaged  with 
them  in  all  the  amusements  and  pastimes  of  the  age.  So 
great  was  the  amalgamation  of  light  and  darkness,  that 
an  angel's  eye  might  have  failed  to  draw  the  line  of 
demarkation  between  the  man  of  the  world  and  the  mem- 
ber of  the  Church.  In  this  condition  Methodism  found 
the  great  mass  of  the  people  in  Washington  county — in 
their  own  estimation  rich,  and  increased  with  goods,  and 
having  need  of  nothing,  and  knowing  not  that  they  were 
wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked. 

"Reece  Wolf — a  local   preacher — in  a  letter  to  me, 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 

writes  thus  :  <  In  April,  1798,  I  settled  on  the  little  Ka- 
nawha,  Wood  county,  Virginia.  At  that  time  Methodism 
was  unknown  in  this  country.  As  soon  as  I  came  I  com- 
menced preaching,  and  the  next  fall  and  winter  a  revival 
took  place.  I  made  up  a  class  of  twenty-one  members, 
and  soon  found  I  had  more  work  to  do  than  I  well  could 
perform.  I  cried  to  the  Lord  for  help ;  I  wrote  a  letter 
to  Bishop  Asbury,  and  another  to  the  Baltimore  confer- 
ence, to  be  held  in  Stone  Chapel,  near  Baltimore,  the  next 
spring.  In  June  following  I  had  the  best  kind  of  evi- 
dence that  God  and  the  Church  had  heard  my  Macedo- 
nian cry.  Brother  Robert  Manley  was  sent  on  to  our 
help,  and  the  little  flock  I  had  gathered  submitted  to  the 
government  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.' 

"June  1st,  1799,  Mr.  Manley  took  charge  of  the  infant 
Church  in  Wood  county,  Virginia.  He  appears  to  have 
spent  nineteen  days  in  that  part  of  the  eountry,  where 
lie  found  five  or  six  preaching-places.  These  limits  were 
quite  too  small  for  a  man  whose  heart  burned  with  zeal 
for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  men,  and  who 
had  received  a  commission  from  the  great  Head  of  the 
Church  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature.  He, 
therefore,  cast  an  anxious  eye  across  the  Ohio  river,  where 
he  saw  a  vast  territory  on  which  a  Methodist  preacher 
had  never  set  his  foot,  and  in  which  many  families  were 
indeed  destitute  of  the  bread  of  life.  He  beheld  thcii 
souls  in  ruin,  and  hasted  to  give  them  relief,  by  setting 
before  them  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  On 
the  20th  he  crossed  the  Ohio,  and  came  into  Marietta, 
but  found  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  his  foot — no  Laban  to 
say  to  the  servant  in  pursuit  of  a  spouse  for  his  Master, 
'  Come  in,  thou  blessed  of  the  Lord ;'  for  an  itinerant 
Methodist  preacher,  Methodist  doctrines,  and  Methodist 
economy,  were  to  this  people  as  strange  and  unlocked  for 
Columbus'*  ship  and  party  were  to  the  natives  of  our 


45f>  SKETCHES   OF 

land.  It  was  not  his  object  to  pull  down  others,  but  to 
feed  the  destitute  with  the  bread  of  life ;  he,  therefore, 
left  the  town,  and  directed  his  attention  to  the  more  des- 
titute but  less  jealous  people  of  the  country,  hoping  to 
find  some  noble  Bereans,  who  would  test  him  and  his 
doctrines  by  the  infallible  standard  of  truth.  In  his 
first  tour  he  visited  each  settlement  in  the  county — found 
a  Presbyterian,  a  Congregational,  and  a  Baptist  minister; 
out  many  new  and  small,  but  growing  neighborhoods, 
were  totally  destitute  of  all  sanctuary  opportunities.  In 
the  most  of  those  settlements  he  found  open  doors  for 
his  reception.  He  also  found  Solomon  Goss,  and  two 
members  of  his  family,  who  had  experienced  the  blessed 
effects  of  Methodism  in  their  own  hearts.  This  family, 
when  on  their  way  from  the  east  to  Ohio,  stopped  a  sea- 
son in  West  Liberty,  where  they  were  awakened  and 
converted  to  God  by  the  instrumentality  of  T.  Fleming. 
If  others  opened  their  doors  through  vain  curiosity,  to 
hear  what  the  babbler  could  say,  this  family  opened 
theirs  from  the  noblest  and  best  feelings  of  their  hearts. 
As  their  attachments  to  the  Church  were  early  in  their 
beginning,  so  they  have  been  deep  and  constant  to  the 
present  time. 

"This  was  an  eventful  year;  for  in  it  the  public  mind 
became  deeply  and  correctly  impressed  with  the  beauty 
and  importance  of  a  plan  perfectly  adapted  to  the  wants 
of  a  new  and  thinly-populated  country.  The  way  was 
opened,  a  number  of  small  classes  were  formed,  and  a 
circuit  was  organized  in  Ohio;  and  much  good  seed  was 
sown  that  ripened  into  maturity  in  after  years.  The 
next  year  Jesse  Stoneman  and  James  Quinn  were  sent 
on  to  take  charge  of  these  little  flocks  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Thus  a  regular  succession  of  ministers  has  been 
kept  up  for  thirty  years,  each  watering  in  his  turn  the 
seed  sown  by  the  other ;  during  which  time  the  ranks  of 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  457 

ie  wicked  one  have  been  greatly  thinned,  and  the  re- 
fons  of  glory  peopled  with  many  immortal  souls. 
"  A  number  of  years  now  passed  with  good  success  in 
[the  country.  The  classes  which  had  been  formed  flour- 
fished  in  the  principal  part  of  the  neighborhoods.  Many 
[had  experienced  '  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  the 
prenewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,'  and  loved  the  Church  with 
great  tenderness.  But  in  town  every  effort  appeared  to 
[be  weak  and  unsuccessful.  In  1804  the  undaunted  and 
deeply-pious  George  Askins  made  a  bold  push,  and  ap- 
(pointed  a  camp  meeting  in  town,  on  a  spot  of  public 
land.  The  members  from  the  country  erected  a  stand, 
fixed  their  seats,  and  pitched  their  tents ;  the  people  of 
the  town  attended,  looked  shy,  and  stood  at  a  distance. 
And  while  the  bending  heavens  broke  in  blessings  on 
the  former,  there  were  no  mighty  works  done  among  the 
latter,  because  of  unbelief.  The  preachers  broke  up  the 
meeting  with  mingled  emotions,  cast  down  and  disap- 
pointed for  the  town,  but  grateful  to  God  for  what  he 
had  done  for  the  country.  All  agreed  to  pray  for  the 
outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  Marietta.  The  next 
year  Jacob  Young  and  G.  C.  Light  appointed  a  second 
meeting  on  the  same  ground.  The  congregation  met  as 
before.  Great  seriousness  pervaded  the  whole  assembly, 
and  the  sons  of  Levi  were  anointed  afresh  to  explain  to 
and  enforce  upon  the  people  the  nature  and  necessity  of 
salvation.  Many  saw  its  importance,  and  felt  that  with- 
out it  life  ia  a  maze  of  error  and  wickedness,  death  a 
gulf  of  horror  and  misery,  and  eternity  a  scene  of  indig- 
nation and  wrath.  The  grace  which  accompanied  the 
ministration  of  the  word  wrote  the  law  of  God  upon  many 
hearts,  both  in  town  and  country.  Of  those  in  town, 
Jonas  Johnson  was  the  most  prominent.  This  man  had 
been  a  disciple  of  Thomas  Paine.  He  was  a  most  charm- 
ing singer,  and  hnd  a  great  redundance  of  wicked  songs. 

39 


458  SKETCHES    OF 

In  this  way  he  exerted  an  influence  over,  and  led  men 
who  possessed  intellects  far  superior  to  his  own.  When 
Johnson  returned  to  the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  his 
soul,  he  did  it  with  all  his  heart,  and  in  a  short  time 
came  out  in  religion  as  bright  as  the  noonday  sun.  In  a 
few  days  he  committed  his  infidel  books  and  obscene 
songs  to  the  flames ;  supplied  their  places  with  the  Holy 
Bible  and  a  Methodist  Hymn-book;  and,  like  Obed  Edom 
opened  his  house  to  receive  the  ark  of  the  Lord.  Hal- 
lowed house  of  grateful  memory  !  In  a  short  time  a  lovely 
little  class  was  raised  up  to  worship  God  in  spirit  and  in 
truth.  For  months  and  years  together  this  class  seldom 
ever  met  to  worship  without  being  assaulted  by  a  lawless 
mob,  who  stoned  the  house,  broke  the  windows,  fired 
squibs,  and  covered  the  chimney,  in  order  to  annoy  the 
worshipers  with  smoke,  and  drive  them  from  the  house 
of  God.  In  this  way  a  number  of  years  passed.  Some 
of  the  members  let  patience  have  its  perfect  work ;  but 
others  were  in  danger  of  fainting.  About  this  time  God, 
in  his  merciful  providence,  raised  up  a  few  young  men 
who  knew  their  legal  privileges,  and  who  put  down  those 
heaven-daring  mortals  that  had  persecuted  their  fellow- 
men  for  no  other  crime  than  that  of  living  godly  in 
Christ  Jesus,  and  enjoying  their  inalienable  rights  as 
free  men.  Those  young  men,  by  Divine  providence,  took 
Methodism  in  Marietta  under  their  protection,  and  nur- 
tured her  as  a  mother  would  her  first-born.  Some  of 
them  have  long  since  gone  to  their  reward,  while  others 
have  grown  gray  in  the  good  work,  and  are  this  day  pil- 
lars in  the  Church  of  God. 

"  From  this  time  till  1809,  the  growth  of  the  Church 
in  town  and  country  was  like  the  well-set  tree  that  takes 
deep  root,  and  promises  to  stand  the  pelting  storms  of 
coming  years.  Then  the  Gospel  net  fell  into  the  hands 
of  a  man  who  drew  good  and  bod  into  the  Church,  but 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  459 

(was  not  careful  to  separate  the  precious  from  the  vile. 
.This  mismanagement  led  gainsayers  to  reproach  the 
fministry  with  glorying  more  in  quantity  than  quality; 
introduced  lasting  difficulties  into  the  classes,  loaded  the 
succeeding  pastor  with  many  painful  duties,  and  gave 
ample  testimony  that  it  is  less  difficult  to  get  bad  men 
into  the  Church  than  it  is  to  prove  their  guilt  and  get 
them  out  again,  when  their  good  and  the  interest  of 
the  Church  require  it.  This  reproach  being  wiped  away, 
by  separating  the  wheat  from  the  chaff,  the  chasm  was 
filled  up  by  men  of  the  first  standing,  who  gave  a  weight 
and  influence  to  Methodism  which  it  never  had  before  in 
this  place.  A  number  of  years  now  passed.  The  smiles 
of  Heaven  rested  on  the  Church,  and  the  mighty  power 
that  attended  the  word  preached,  and  the  living  faith 
and  unshaken  confidence  of  the  members  in  God,  made 
her  indeed  like  an  army  with  banners;  and  had  she  kept 
the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace,  it  is  difficult 
to  say  to  what  extent  she  would  by  this  time  have  spread 
her  branches.  But,  alas !  men  do  not  know  how  to  value 
the  legacy  given  to  them  by  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  said, 
'  My  peace  I  give  unto  you.' 

"In  1819  the  spirit  of  disaffection  entered  in,  and 
brought  with  it  all  its  soul-destroying  poison.  The  labors 
of  many  years  wilted  at  its  unhallowed  touch,  like  herb- 
age before  the  winter's  frost.  To  see  its  desolating  rav- 
age was  enough  to  break  the  heart  of  a  good  man.  lu 
1825  the  old  men  took  an  alarm,  and  gave  the  next  con- 
ference a  tender  but  faithful  account  of  their  situation ; 
and  petitioned  the  conference  to  send  them  some  man 
who  would  regulate  their  Church  matters.  The  Ohio 
conference  had  felt  many  fearful  apprehensions  for  Mari- 
etta circuit.  They  took  the  subject  into  deep  and  prayer- 
ful consideration;  and  that  indefatigable  man,  L.  S , 

was  selected  and  sent  to  this  circuit,  with  special  orders 


460  SKETCHES    OF 

to  examine  the  state  of  the  Church,  and  to  attend  to  the 
Discipline.  He  felt  the  weight  of  his  appointment,  flew 
to  God  for  help,  and  came  in  the  fullness  of  the  blessing 
of  Christ.  His  divine  Master  was  with  him,  and  blessed 
him  in  all  he  did.  The  heathen  story  of  the  Phenix 
rising  to  splendor  out  of  its  own  ashes,  would  no  more 
than  illustrate  the  change  produced  in  the  Church  on 
that  circuit,  under  the  administration  of  this  highly- 
honored  servant  of  Grod. 

"When  alive  to  God,  the  Church  has,  at  all  points, 
and  at  all  periods,  met  her  share  of  opposition — not,  in- 
deed, directly"  or  always  from  men  of  high  standing,  'but 
from  lewd  fellows  of  the  baser  sort/  who  are  frequently 
the  degrading  instruments  of  others  acting  behind  a 
screen.  The  spirit  of  opposition  has  frequently  turned 
Methodist  preachers  out  of  meeting-houses  belonging 
to  other  denominations,  and  shut  public  school-houses 
against  them,  with  a  manifest  intention  of  putting  them 
down.  But,  in  about  as  many  instances,  this  kind  of 
opposition  has  had  a  contrary  effect.  Instead  of  putting 
them  down  in  such  places,  it  has  led  their  friends  to 
double  their  exertions  to  build  houses  of  worship  for 
themselves.  In  this  way  the  Church  has  frequently 
gained  permanency  by  the  very  means  intended  for  her 
downfall.  Under  these  circumstances,  in  different  neigh- 
borhoods, two  or  three  men  of  moderate  property  have 
been  known,  with  their  own  funds,  in  a  short  time,  to 
build  houses  of  worship,  to  the  utter  astonishment  and 
confusion  of  their  enemies.  If  a  jealous  distance,  scowl- 
ing contempt,  and  gross  misrepresentations,  be  calculated 
to  inflict  wounds,  then  Methodism  has  been  lacerated 
often  and  severely,  as  well  as  he  who  said,  ( Of  the  Jews 
five  times  received  I  forty  stripes  save  one.' 

"The  system  of  doctrines  held  and  propagated  by  the 
Methodists  in  Washington  county,  met  a  tide  of  opposi 


WESfEKN    METHODISM.  461 

tion  for  many  years.  Its  principal  antagonists  were  Pre- 
destinarians.  When  Methodism  was  in  its  infancy,  those 
men  treated  its  doctrines  with  the  most  sovereign  con- 
tempt; and  in  its  more  advanced  state,  it  was  scouted 
out  of  'good  company'  and  fine  meeting-houses  as  a 
dangerous  heresy.  All  this  time  the  Methodist  ministers 
were  preaching  in  the  flowing  language  of  the  Bible, 
with  as  much  confidence  in  the  correctness  of  their  doc- 
trines, and  as  great  indifference  to  contempt,  and  scorn, 
and  opposition,  and  persecution,  as  if  they  knew  every 
being  in  the  universe  believed  every  word  they  were  say- 
ing. In  this  way  their  sentiments  elicited  investigation, 
and  gained  ground  daily,  till  many  rallied  around  their 
standard.  A  great  conflict  of  sentiments  among  the 
people  was  the  natural  consequence.  In  this  state  of 
public  excitement,  in  1808,  the  people  of  Belpre  pro- 
posed a  number  of  questions,  touching  those  doctrinal 
points  affirmed  by  Calvinists  and  denied  by  Methodists. 
They  called  two  ministers  to  discuss  those  questions  in 
public.  Two  days  were  spent  in  the  discussion,  and  a 
great  concourse  of  people  attended.  The  Rev.  Samuel 
P.  Robins  took  the  affirmative,  and  the  Rev.  Solomon 
Langdon  the  negative  side.  Each  had  his  admirers,  but 
no  salutary  effects  were  produced  either  way;  for,  it  is 
feared,  too  many  came  out  in  the  pride  of  their  hearts 
to  see  the  fight.  If  the  people  of  Belpre  saw  the  light, 
they  still  loved  darkness,  and,  therefore,  failed  to  make  a 
clear  distinction  between  the  doctrines  of  general  redemp- 
tion and  those  of  a  particular  salvation.  They,  in  con 
sequence,  blundered  into  all  the  errors  of  modern  Univer- 
salism.  The  subject  then  returned  to  the  people  of  the 
county,  who  have  not  rendered  a  verdict  in  form,  but 
have  in  effect.  For  if  it  be  certain  that  the  ingenious 
speculations  of  Descartes  were  overthrown  by  the  more 
practical  philosophers  of  the  Baconian  school,  it  is  not 

39* 


462  SKETCHES    OF 

less  certain  that  high-toned  Calvinism  has  suffered  the 
like  overthrow  from  Methodism  in  this  county. 

"  The  relative  standing  of  the  principal  Christian 
denominations  in  the  county  at  present  is  as  follows : 
The  Presbyterians  have  four  ministers,  two  hundred  and 
forty  Church  members,  and  five  meeting-houses — two  of 
them  very  good,  the  rest  old,  unoccupied,  and  in  a  decay- 
ing state.  The  Congregationalists  employ  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  have  one  hundred  and  eighty  Church  members, 
and  one  splendid  meeting-house.  The  regular  Baptists 
have  one  meeting-house,  throe  small  congregations,  sup- 
plied by  ministers  from  a  distance,  who  visit  them  occa- 
sionally. The  Methodists  have  two  traveling  and  four 
local  preachers,  one  thousand  and  twelve  members,  thir- 
teen meeting-houses,  and  fourteen  other  stated  preaching 
places,  where  the  congregations  meet  in  school-rooms 
and  dwelling-houses.  All  have  their  Bible,  missionary, 
tract,  and  Sunday  school  societies,  doing  about  what  they 
can  to  promote  the  good  cause  of  Christ  in  the  world. 
When  we  look  over  the  history  of  our  sister  Churches, 
and  see  what  they  were  once  and  what  they  are  now,  we 
are  struck  with  the  change  that  has  taken  place  for  the 
better,  and  can  not  help  thinking  that  one  member  of 
this  family  has  provoked  the  rest  to  love  and  to  good 
works. 

"Notwithstanding  Methodism  has  been  assailed  by 
fierce  and  contrary  winds,  like  the  sea-tossed  bark,  she 
has  possessed,  and  still  possesses,  some  redeeming  prin- 
ciples, which  have  at  all  times  exerted  a  saving  influence 
in  Washington  county.  These  are,  First.  Her  plan;  by 
which  she  meets  the  wants  of  the  outskirts  of  human 
population,  as  well  as  the  city  full ;  that  sends  the  Gospel 
to  the  poor  as  well  as  to  the  rich ;  and  that  distributes 
the  various  gifts  of  the  ministry  far  and  wide.  Second. 
Her  doctrines;  which,  if  fairly  explained,  and  properly 


WESTEBN    METHODISM.  463 

;  understood,  are  calculated  not  to  insult,  but  to  carry  con- 

tictioH  to  the  minds  of  all  attentive  and  unprejudiced 

men.     Third.  Her  manner  of  preaching ;   by  which  she 

f  instructs  her  ministers  to  stand  at  a  proper  distance,  on 

f  the  one  hand,  from  senseless  vociferations,  as  little  calcu- 

i  lated  to  correct  the  heart  as  to  inform  the  judgment; 

i  and,  on  the  other,  from  that  criminally-cold  indifference 

that   makes   truth    look    like   fiction.      Occupying   this 

ground,  she  encourages  them  to  grasp  their  subjects  in 

all  their  extent,  and  to  suffer  themselves  to  be  wrought 

up  by  a  sense  of  their  vast  importance  to  the  highest 

pitch  of  mental  and  devotional  energy. 

"  We  have  seen  Methodism  in  her  infancy  cast  out  and 
trodden  under  foot ;  and  we  have  seen  her,  in  her  riper 
years,  put  on  her  beautiful  garments,  and  walk  abroad  in 
the  greatness  of  her  strength.  These  things  admonish 
us  to  'rejoice  with  trembling/  If  God  has  been  with 
us,  and  made  us  a  people  who  were  not  a  people,  we 
should  rejoice  greatly  in  the  Lord,  and  incense  of  praise 
and  gratitude  should  ascend  to  him  from  our  feeling 
hearts,  like  smoke  ascending  from  an  ever-burning  altar. 
But  if  myriads  follow,  and  look  up  to  us  for  the  bread  of 
life,  we  should  tremble  under  a  sense  of  our  high  respon- 
sibility, and  the  account  we  must  render  to  our  Judge." 

In  the  year  1819  brother  Hamilton  was  transferred  to 
Missouri,  and  stationed  on  the  Indiana  district,  which 
he  traveled  four  consecutive  years,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  which  time  he  was  retransferred  to  the  Ohio  confer- 
ence. His  appointment  was  the  Marietta  district,  which 
he  traveled  four  years.  From  this  district  he  was  sent  to 
the  Kanawha  district,  which  he  traveled  two  years,  and 
then  successively  the  following  circuits;  namely,  Asbury, 
Irville,  Rehoboth,  and  Deavertown.  In  all  his  vast 
range  of  travel,  and  amid  all  the  toils  and  conflicts  of 
his  itinerant  life,  he  never  for  a  moment  faltered  in  hia 


SKETCHES    OF 

work.  His  friends  were  numerous  wherever  he  went; 
and  he  understood  that  trait  of  the  apostle  Paul,  to  be 
all  things  to  all  men,  so  that  by  all  means  some  might 
be  saved.  This  he  was  enabled  to  be,  in  an  eminent 
degree,  without  blowing  hot  and  cold  with  the  same 
breath.  While  he  mingled,  with  ease  and  dignity, 
among  the  great,  commanding  their  respect  and  esteem, 
he  also  condescended  to  men  of  low  estate.  His  talents 
were,  as  we  have  already  intimated,  sui  generis.  He  had 
a  manner  of  illustration  peculiarly  his  own,  seeming  to 
have  taken  no  man  for  his  model.  Sometimes  he  would 
indulge  in  a  vein  of  irony  and  sarcasm  that  was  wither- 
ing to  the  systems  and  principles  he  opposed.  He  was 
very  plain  in  his  dress,  and  any  one,  on  meeting  him, 
would  be  sure  to  guess  he  was  a  Methodist  preacher. 
Indeed,  he  seemed  to  take  delight,  as  he  called  it,  in 
showing  his  colors.  He  was  of  the  medium  hight,  thick 
set,  with  a  bland,  open  countenance,  indicative  of  great 
good  feeling.  His  manner  of  preaching  was  somewhat 
peculiar.  He  would  always  divide  his  subject,  with  the 
greatest  exactness,  into  a  few  simple  heads,  or  proposi- 
tions, after  which,  if  there  were  any  terms  of  importance, 
he  would  define  them  clearly,  and  then  proceed,  slowly 
and  cautiously,  in  the  discussion  of  his  subject,  illustra- 
ting the  whole  with  the  most  appropriate  figures,  drawn 
from  real  life.  Toward  the  close  he  invariably  warmed 
up,  and  became  vehement.  In  this  respect  he  resem- 
bled the  eloquent  Christie,  though  he  had  not  the  same 
intense  and  fiery  ardor.  Though  not  exactly  a  memoriter 
preacher,  that  is,  he  did  not  write  and  commit  his  ser- 
mons, yet,  like  some  few  we  have  known,  the  very  thoughts 
and  words  which  he  employed  in  the  delivery  of  a  ser- 
mon, would  occur  on  its  repetition  even  years  after.  He 
was  evidently  a  master-workman,  and  none  were  more 
successful  than  he  in  the  various  fields  in  which  he  was 


WESTEICN    METHODISM.  465 

called  to  labor,  as  the  results  have  abundantly  and  clearly 
shown. 

His  last  field,  as  we  have  already  seen,  was  Deavertown 
circuit.  While  engaged  in  the  performance  of  his  min- 
isterial duties  on  this  circuit,  he  was  attacked  with  a 
slight  stroke  of  paralysis,  which,  for  a  short  time,  dis- 
qualified him  from  hard  labor.  Still,  he  continued  in 
his  loved  employ,  as  his  strength  permitted,  till  a  second 
attack,  which  totally  prostrated  him,  and  put  an  end  to 
all  his  labors  in  the  ministry.  For  two  years  he  lingered 
in  a  helpless  condition,  yet  he  patiently  and  pleasantly 
awaited  the  will  of  his  heavenly  Father,  full  of  faith  and 
the  Holy  Spirit.  No  complaint  ever  escaped  his  lipsj 
but  keeping  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  bright  and  joyous 
inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light,  when  the  messenger 

me,  conscious  of  his  dissolution,  he  said,  in  soft,  sweet 
tones,  to  his  spirit,  "Arise,  the  Master  is  come,  and 
calleth  for  thee."  Then  his  worn-out  and  broken-down 
tabernacle  went  to  the  dust,  and  his  happy  soul,  on  wings 
of  faith  and  love,  entered  the  "building  of  God,  the 
house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens." 


466  SKETCHES    OF 


•ii 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

WILLIAM     H.     BAPER. 

AMONG  that  class  of  preachers  who  entered  the  itiner- 
ancy, in  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  was  the 
Kev.  Wm.  H.  Raper.  That  he  was  born  in  troublous 
times,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  a  block-house,  be- 
longing to  one  of  the  military  stations  in  the  wilds  of 
western  Pennsylvania,  was  the  place  of  his  birth,  which 
event  occurred  in  the  year  1793. 

His  father  was  a  surveyor  under  the  Government,  in  the 
North- Western  territory,  which  made  it  necessary  for  him 
to  be  much  from  home,  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of 
his  office.  His  mother  was  one  of  the  matron  pioneers  of 
the  west,  and  among  the  first  class  of  Methodists  in  the 
North-Western  territory.  She  was  a  woman  of  exemplary 
piety,  of  great  faith  and  devotion.  She  was  also  a  patriot 
mother  of  the  Revolution,  as  her  subsequent  history,  in 
relation  to  her  sons,  most  abundantly  shows. 

When  William  was  quite  young  his  parents  removed  to 
Columbia,  on  the  Ohio,  a  few  miles  above  Cincinnati, 
where  his  early  days  were  spent,  in  those  sports  and  em- 
ployments incident  to  frontier  life.  When  he  reached 
his  nineteenth  year  his  thoughts  were  turned  to  war. 
Having  two  brothers  in  the  army  of  General  Hull,  whose 
base  surrender  has  forever  associated  his  name  with  an 
ignominy  little  less  than  that  which  attaches  to  Arnold, 
a  call  was  made  for  volunteers,  and  the  young  American 
joined  the  company  of  Captain  Stephen  Smith,  and  went 
forth  to  try  the  rigors  of  the  camp  and  field.  Not  long 


WESTEKN    METHODISM.  461 

after  entering  the  company,  the  sergeant  being  disquali- 
fied, by  sickness,  from  filling  his  post,  young  Raper  was 
chosen  to  the  office.  He  felt  an  ambition  to  fill  with 
honor  and  bravery  the  post  assigned  him,  and  labored 
with  zeal  and  diligence  to  become  master  of  all  the  art? 
of  war. 

A  day  or  two  before  the  battle  of  the  Thames,  his  com- 
pany was  ordered  to  march  up  the  Lake,  some  fifteen 
miles,  to  prevent  the  landing  of  the  British.     The  en- 
gagement took  place  during  their  absence,  and  the  battle 
was  nearly  closed  before  the  company  arrived   on  the 
ground.     This   circumstance   rendered    it   necessary,   as 
Captain  Smith's  company  was  now  the  strongest,  that  it 
should  take  charge  of  the  prisoners  of  war,  which  had 
been  taken  by  Commodore  Perry  and  General  William 
Henry  Harrison,  and  bring  them  to  the  Newport  station. 
All  the  officers  who  ranked  above  Raper  in  the  company 
having  taken  sick,  the  command  devolved  upon  him.     It 
was  a  responsible  undertaking,  but,  as  the  sequel  will 
show,  the  young  officer  proved  himself  adequate  to  the 
emergency.     The  company  consisted  of  one  hundred  sol- 
diers, and  the    number  of  prisoners  amounted  to  four 
hundred.     Every   arrangement   being   made,  they  com- 
menced their  march.     On  their  route  it  was  necessary 
for  them  to  cross  the  Black  Swamp,  which,  at  that  season 
of  the  year,  was  nearly  covered  with  water,  which  ex- 
tended for  miles  through  a  drear  and  desolate  wilderness. 
In  their  march  the  company  became  bewildered  and  lost, 
and  the  commander  was  at  his  wits'  ends  to  know  what  to 
do.     For  three  days  and  nights  they  wandered  about  in 
the   swamp,   without  food.     The    company  had   become 
scattered,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  third  day  he  found 
himself  with  a  guard  of  only  twelve  men,  and  about  one 
hundred  prisoners.     The  prisoners,  seeing  the  weakness 
of  tho  guard,  resolved  on  a  mutiny,  and  refused  to  march. 


SKETCHES    OF 

threatening  to  kill  the  few  who  had  them  in  charge.  No 
time  was  to  be  lost,  and  Raper,  calling  out  his  men,  drew 
them  up  in  line  and  commanded  them  to  make  ready  for 
the  emergency,  which  they  did,  by  fixing  their  bayonets 
and  cocking  their  guns.  In  this  position  both  parties 
stood  for  some  time.  At  length,  finding  that  the  prison- 
ers refused  all  entreaties  to  march,  the  commander  gave 
them  five  minutes  to  decide,  and  if,  at  the  expiration  of 
that  time,  they  did  not  march,  he  would  fire  and  charge 
upon  them.  At  the  end  of  each  minute  he  announced 
the  fact,  but  they  would  not  move.  When  the  last 
minute  had  expired  the  soldiers  were  commanded  to  pre- 
sent arms,  take  aim,  and — but  before  the  word  fire  had 
escaped  his  lips,  a  large  Scotch  soldier,  fresh  from  the 
Highlands  of  his  native  country,  cried,  hold !  and,  step- 
ping aside,  asked  the  privilege  of  saying  a  word.  The 
captain  asked  him  if  it  was  for  peace.  To  which  he  re- 
plied in  the  affirmative.  The  privilege  was  granted,  and, 
addressing  his  fellow-prisoners,  he  said,  "  We  have  been 
taken  in  a  fair  fight,  and  are  prisoners,  honorably  so,  and 
this  conduct  is  disgraceful  to  our  king's  flag,  and  is  not 
the  conduct  becoming  true  soldiers,  but  disgraceful  to 
ourselves  and  country.  Now,"  said  he,  "I  have  had  no 
hand  in  raising  this  mutiny,  and  I  propose  that  all  who 
are  in  favor  of  behaving  themselves  as  honorable  prison- 
ers of  war,  shall  come  to  me,  and  we  will  take  the  others 
in  hand  ourselves,  and  the  American  guard  shall  stand  by 
and  see  fair  play."  This  speech  had  the  desired  effect, 
and  the  mutiny  was  brought  to  an  end  without  bloodshed. 
Raper  continued  in  charge  till  he  delivered  them  over 
at  Newport,  opposite  Cincinnati.  A  few  years  ago  we 
met  with  an  old  soldier,  one  of  that  company  and  guard, 
who  told  us  that  Mr.  Raper  was  considered  one  of  the 
best  soldiers  and  bravest  men  in  the  army;  that  he  had 
seen  him  under  almost  every  position  in  which  a  soldier 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  469 

could  be  placed,  and  never  saw  him  evince  the  least  fear. 
They  had  among  the  prisoners  two  Indians,  who,  after 
very  severe  threatenings,  and,  indeed,  at  the  point  of 
Raper's  sword,  finally  led  them  out  of  the  swamp.  That 
evening  they  reached  a  settlement,  where  they  obtained 
provisions,  and,  notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  the  officers, 
many  of  the  men  killed  themselves  by  eating. 

After  his  arrival  at  Newport  with  the  prisoners,  he  was 
offered  a  commission  in  the  regular  army,  which  he  con- 
sented to  take,  provided  it  was  agreeable  to  the  wishes  of 
his  mother.  Such  was  his  love  for  her,  that  he  would 
take  no  important  step  without  first  consulting  her.  His 
mother's  answer  was  characteristic  of  the  noble  mothers 
of  that  day :  "  My  son,  if  my  country  was  still  engaged 
in  war,  and  I  had  fifty  sons,  I  would  freely  give  them  all 
to  her  service ;  but,  as  peace  is  now  declared,  and  there  is 
no  such  necessity,  as  a  Christian  mother,  therefore,  I  can 
not  consent,  for  I  think  something  better  awaits  my  son 
than  the  mere  camp-life  of  a  soldier  in  time  of  peace." 
We  have  often  heard  him  speak  with  gratitude,  in  view 
of  this  advice  of  his  mother,  and  that  he  felt  it  a  far 
greater  honor  to  be  a  humble  minister  of  Jesus  Christ, 
than  to  have  been  at  the  head  of  the  American  army. 
He,  accordingly,  declined  the  commission,  and  returned 
to  his  former  occupation,  which  was  that  of  a  tanner. 

In  the  spring  of  1816  he  joined  the  Church,  under 
Rev.  Russel  Bigelow,  at  the  house  of  Judge  Ransom,  at 
Newbury,  Clermont  county,  Ohio,  and  after  months  of  deep 
penitence,  he  was  converted.  Shortly  after  he  assisted 
in  holding  meetings  in  his  neighborhood,  and  the  next 
year  was  employed  by  the  presiding  elder,  on  what  was 
then  called  the  Miami  circuit. 

In  the  year  1819  he  was  received  on  trial  in  the  trav- 
eling connection,  at  the  conference  held  at  Cincinnati, 
and  appointed  to  Madison  circuit,  with  the  Rev.  Henry 

40 


470 

Baker  for  a  colleague.  We  will  give  some  incidents  con- 
nected with  his  early  itinerancy.  While  traveling  in 
Indiana,  upon  the  first  visit  to  one  of  his  appointments, 
after  the  meeting  was  closed,  a  fine,  large  man  approached 
him  and  called  him  brother,  and  said,  "I  knew  you  the 
moment  I  saw  you,  but  I  suppose  you  have  forgotten  me." 
Brother  Raper  told  him  he  did  not  remember  to  have 
ever  seen  him.  "Well,  sir,"  said  the  man,  "I  am  the 
Scotch  soldier  that  made  the  speech  to  the  prisoners,  the 
morning  of  the  mutiny  in  the  Black  Swamp."  Their 
meeting,  under  such  a  change  of  circumstances,  was  re 
marked  by  brother  Raper  as  being  very  delightful,  when 
he  added,  "After  we  were  exchanged  as  prisoners  of  war, 
my  enlistment  terminated.  I  had  been  brought  to  see 
the  justice  of  the  American  cause,  and  the  greatness  of 
the  country.  I  determined  I  would  not  return  to  the  old 
country.  I  commenced  working  at  such  labor  as  I  could 
find.  I  saved  a  little  money,  came  to  this  state,  rented 
some  land,  and  opened  a  farm.  I  have  joined  the  Meth- 
odist Church,  and,  praise  God  !  the  best  of  all  is,  I  have 
obtained  religion.  And  not  among  the  least  of  my  bless- 
ings in  this  new  .country,  I  have  a  fine  wife  and  a  noble 
child.  So,  come,"  said  he,  "dinner  will  be  ready  by  the 
time  we  get  home."  All  other  claims  from  the  members 
had  to  be  set  aside  this  time,  and  the  two  soldiers,  now 
as  friends  and  Christians,  were  permitted  to  renew  their 
acquaintance.  They  were  ever  after  fast  friends. 

At  another  time,  having  lost  the  direction  on  a  strange 
road  after  night,  he  crossed  at  the  mouth  of  a  creek, 
which  empties  into  the  Ohio,  where  it  was,  perhaps,  fifty 
feet  deep,  when  the  Ohio  river  was  very  high.  The 
mouth  of  the  creek  being  full  of  drift  logs  and  brush,  and 
it  being  dark,  he  mistook  the  drift  for  a  bridge,  and  went 
upon  it;  he  thought  it  was  a  very  shackling  kind  of  a 
bridge,  but  passed  over,  leading  his  horse,  without  injury, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  471 

although,  when  upon  it,  he  feared  his  horse  would  fall 
through,  and  knew  no  better  till  the  next  morning,  when 
he  was  told  of  his  danger  by  the  family,  to  whose  house  he 
had  been  attracted  late  in  the  night,  by  seeing  the  light 
from  their  cabin  window.  But  for  that  cabin  he  would 
have  had  to  remain  all  night  in  the  woods,  as  he  had 
done  several  times  before. 

During  that  year  he  swam  his  horse  thirty-two  times, 
in  order  to  reach  his  appointments.  On  one  of  these 
swimming  excursions  he  met  with  a  singular  incident. 
His  horse,  by  some  means,  became  entangled  while  swim- 
ming, and  sank,  throwing  him  off.  It  was  a  cold  morn- 
ing, a  little  before  sunrise ;  and  being  incumbered  with 
a  great-coat  and  leggins,  he  found  it  very  difficult  to 
swim;  but,  with  great  effort,  he  succeeded  in  catching- 
hold  of  the  limb  of  a  tree,  which  was  hanging  over  the 
stream,  where  he  was  enabled  to  rest  and  hold  his  head 
above  the  water.  While  thus  suspended  in  the  stream, 
the  thought  rushed  upon  him,  "Mother  is  praying  for 
me,  and  I  shall  be  saved."  After  thus  resting,  for  a 
moment  or  two,  he  made  the  effort  and  got  ashore.  His 
horse  had  also  made  a  safe  landing,  having  the  saddle- 
bags on  his  back  all  safe.  His  clothes  and  books  were 
wet,  and  himself  very  much  chilled  by  tho  early  bath. 
But  while  this  was  going  on  with  himself  in  the  stream, 
his  mother,  some  eighty  or  a  hundred  miles  distant,  that 
morning  awoke  suddenly  as  from  affright,  when  this 
thought  rushed  upon  her,  "William  is  in  great  danger;" 
when  she  sprang  from  her  bed,  and  falling  on  her  knees, 
prayed  for  some  time  in  intense  supplication  for  his 
safety,  when  she  received  a  sweet  assurance  that  all  was 
well.  When  they  met  and  related  the  facts,  and  com- 
pared the  time  and  all,  they  precisely  agreed. 

As  a  man  he  was  honorable  and  high-minded.     In  the 
language  of  the  Committee  on  Memoirs,  written  by  one 


4:72  SKETCHES    OF 

who  was  a  companion  with  him  on  the  well-fought  field 
of  itinerant  life  : 

"Brother  Raper's  ministerial  qualifications,  taken  alto- 
gether, were  far  above  the  medium  grade.  Blessed  with 
an  extraordinary  memory,  he  acquired  a  very  large  amount 
of  historical  and  general  information,  and  possessed  the 
happy  art  of  turning  all  to  good  account.  Some  minis- 
ters excel  in  some  things  pertaining  to  their  office,  and 
fall  behind  in  others;  but  brother  Raper  succeeded  well 
in  almost  every  particular.  He  was  a  profound  theolo- 
gian, mighty  in  the  sacred  Scriptures,  readily  perceived 
the  line  separating  truth  and  error,  and  evinced  superior 
logical  skill  in  advocating  the  one  and  opposing  the  other. 
Under  his  ministry  thousands  of  souls  have  enlisted  in 
the  cause  of  Christ,  many  of  whom  went  before  to  hail 
him  welcome  into  everlasting  habitations,  while  others 
yet  follow  him  as  he  followed  Christ.  While  this  gen- 
eration lives  on  earth,  he  and  his  labors  will  be  remem- 
bered with  delight  by  many  both  in  and  out  of  the  Church. 
Spiritual  gifts  were  conferred  on  him  in  great  variety. 
He  sang  delightfully  and  usefully,  and  was  highly  gifted 
in  prayer  and  exhortation.  He  was  an  eloquent  preacher, 
an  able  expounder  of  the  word  of  life,  a  very  judicious 
administrator  of  Church  discipline,  and  a  faithful  and 
affectionate  pastor. 

"  Whether  on  a  circuit,  in  a  station,  or  over  a  district 
as  presiding  elder,  he  appeared  to  be  alike  at  home,  and 
every-where  useful.  His  stated  ministry  was  exercised 
chiefly  in  Ohio  and  Indiana;  but  his  connection  with 
several  sessions  of  the  General  conference,  and  subse- 
quently with  the  General  Mission  Committee,  caused  him 
to  be  well-known  about  the  eastern  cities,  where  he  was 
highly  esteemed.  Indeed,  his  amiable  social  qualities, 
superior  conversational  powers,  and  rich  fund  of  useful 
incidents,  gathered  from  practical  life,  not  only  gained 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  478 

him  access,  but  secured  him  warm  personal  friends 
wherever  he  went.  But  few  men  had  more  admirers,  and 
none  more  devoted  bosom  friends,  either  lay  or  clerical, 
than  had  brother  Raper.  It  must  not  be  inferred,  however, 
from  any  thing  here  stated,  that  brother  Raper  never  had 
enemies. 

"No  one  could  expose  sin  as  he  did,  plainly  and  fear- 
lessly, without  exciting  opposition.  On  one  or  two  occa- 
sions, in  the  earlier  part  of  his  ministry,  some  attempts 
were  made  to  do  violence  to  his  person,  if  not  to  take 
away  his  life ;  but  the  Lord  preserved  him  from  harm, 
and  the  man  who  made  the  most  daring  attempt  upon 
him  was  on  the  same  day,  by  his  faithful  preaching, 
awakened,  sought  and  found  mercy,  and  became  an  ac- 
ceptable member  of  the  Church.  Brother  Eaper  was 
always  disposed  to  put  the  best  constructions  upon  the 
conduct  of  others,  and  ever  ready  to  forgive  an  injury; 
and  now  ho  is  where  the  wicked  cease  to  trouble,  and  the 
weary  are  at  rest. 

"  In  the  early  part  of  February,  1852,  he  accompanied 
Bishop  Morris  to  Aurora,  Indiana,  to  attend  a  quarterly 
meeting  and  visit  his  old  friends  in  that  place.  There  he 
preached  his  last  sermon,  with  peculiar  clearness  and 
effect.  On  Tuesday,  the  10th  of  February,  he  started  for 
home,  in  company  with  Bishop  Morris,  on  the  steamer 
Forest  Queen.  He  was  attacked  some  time  in  the  night 
with  spasms,  and  when  his  condition  was  discovered  by 
the  brother  who  was  in  the  same  room,  consciousness  was 
gone.  The  boat  being  in  port,  medical  aid  was  immedi- 
ately had,  and  all  that  human  skill  could  do  was  done, 
but  to  no  saving  effect.  He  was  carefully  and  tenderly 
borne  to  the  bosom  of  his  family,  whose  feelings  we  can 
not  attempt  to  describe,  where  he  expired  about  half-past 
six,  P.  M.,  surrounded  by  his  affectionate  and  deeply- 
afflicted  family  and  many  sympathizing  friends. 
40* 


SKETCHES    0V 

"  That  once  beautiful  and  manly  form,  upon  which  we 
were  wont  to  look,  now  lies  in  ruins  in  the  charnel-house. 
But  that  is  not  brother  Raper — it  is  only  the  earthly 
tabernacle  in  which  he  recently  sojourned  among  men. 
Brother  Raper  is  in  heaven,  free  from  all  the  shackles  of 
mortality.  He  mingles  with  the  glorified  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect,  enjoying  the  light  and  the  smiles  of 
the  reconciled  and  pleased  countenance  of  Him  who  loved 
him  and  gave  himself  for  him. 

"Let  us  not  confine  our  thoughts  of  him  to  the  cold 
and  silent  tomb,  but  let  us  contemplate  him  in  heaven,  in 
a  world  of  peace  and  joy  above,  while  his  flesh  rests  in 
the  promise  of  a  glorious  resurrection.  'Peace  to  his 
ashes !'  May  we  imitate  his  virtues,  and  finally  share  his 
triumphs  in  Christ  through  eternity !" 

He  has  gone  from  our  midst,  after  being  with  us,  as  a 
preacher,  for  thirty-three  years,  and  we  shall  no  more 
hear  his  voice  in  our  councils,  nor  be  encouraged  by  his 
smiles.  We  recollect  distinctly  the  last  conference  which 
he  attended,  and  deeply  impressed  upon  our  mind  is  the 
last  speech  he  made  to  his  brethren.  He  had  been  af- 
flicted for  some  time,  and  his  disease  was  of  such  a  nature 
as  to  render  him  liable,  at  any  moment,  to  be  called  away. 
He  addressed  his  brethren  in  a  few  words,  in  which  he 
took  occasion  to  allude  to  his  suiferings;  and,  after  re- 
ferring to  the  many  happy  seasons  spent  with  his  breth- 
ren in  the  ministry,  he  told  them  he  waited  the  will  of 
his  Master;  and  if,  before  another  conference,  he  should 
be  called  away,  he  said,  with  uplifted  eyes  and  tremulous 
tongue,  "  Look  up  on  high  and  believe  I  am  there." 

At  another  time,  and  still  more  recently,  when  it  was 
customary  for  him  to  tell  his  family  that  they  need  not 
be  disappointed  or  alarmed,  if  he  should  die  before 
morning,  he  said  to  a  brother,  "I  feel  like  one  at  a 
way-station,  on  the  platform,  with  my  trunk  packed, 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  475 

waiting  for  the  cars."  The  chariot  of  the  Lord  at  length 
came,  and  brother  Wm.  H.  Raper  ascended  to  mansions 
on  high. 

On  a  lovely  spot,  in  the  Wesleyan  Cemetery,  the  hand 
of  affection  has  reared  a  beautiful  white  marble  obelisk, 
as  a  sacred  memento,  to  tell  the  passer-by  where  sleeps 
the  sainted  dust  of  one  of  Ohio's  best  and  bravest  sons. 


3ifi' 


.••««•.        ! 

t  .MW*  H'. 
^  lit:: 

Hfe'.-'.'r' 


476 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

JOHN     ULIN. 

THE  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Virginia,  in  the 
year  1792,  and  brought  up  to  manhood  in  the  wilds  of 
Grreenup  county,  Kentucky.  Growing  up,  as  he  did,  amid 
the  scenes  of  border  warfare,  which,  in  his  early  life,  pre- 
vailed between  the  whites  and  Indians,  it  might  be  ex- 
pected that  young  Ulin  would  form  a  character  corre- 
sponding to  the  times  in  which  he  livetl,  and  the  scenes 
by  which  he  was  surrounded.  His  father  was  a  daring 
and  adventurous  backwoods  hunter.  A  spot  is  pointed 
out  to  the  traveler,  as  he  passes  along  the  banks  of  the 
Ohio,  or  floats  over  the  surface  of  that  majestic  river, 
where  a  high,  craggy  rock  rises  up  almost  perpendicu- 
larly from  the  bank,  on  the  Virginia  side,  called  "  Ulin's 
leap."  It  is  a  wild,  romantic  spot,  even  to  this  day. 
The  summit  of  the  rock  is  covered  with  scraggy  trees  and 
evergreens,  and  is  wild  and  unbroken  as  nature  made  it. 
In  olden  time,  the  father  of  John,  when  hotly  pursued  by 
the  Indians,  with  whom  he  was  not  able  to  compete, 
leaped  over  this  frightful  precipice  into  the  depths  be- 
low, and  escaped  unhurt  from  the  savage  foe.  It  was  a 
deed  of  desperate  daring,  but  it  was  better  for  him  to 
make  the  fearful  leap,  than  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
merciless  savages,  whose  revenge  he  had  aroused. 

Young  Ulin  shared  the  fortunes  of  his  father,  and  en- 
tered, in  early  life,  upon  the  stirring  field  of  adventure. 
He  became  an  expert  hunter.  The  woods  were  his  home, 
and  in  its  deep  solitudes  he  wandered  in  search  of  game. 


WESTEBN    METHODISM.  477 

There  was  a  native  buoyancy,  if  not  wildness,  in  his  com- 
position, united,  however,  with  great  amiability,  and  a 
full   flow  of  sociality,   that  made   his   society  desirable 
I  among  both  old  and  young;  and  hence,  in  all  backwoods 
i  sports  and  pastimes,  in  all  scenes  of  mirth  and  gayety,  or 
reckless  daring,  he  occupied  a  place  in  the  front  rank  of 
his  associates. 

But  he  was  destined  by  Providence  for  another  sphere. 
That  brilliant  mind  and  brave  young  heart  was  to  be  oc- 
cupied in  different  pursuits  from  those  which  then  ab- 
sorbed them.  A  great  observer  of  human  destiny  had 
said: 

"  There  is  a  Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
Rough  hew  them  as  we  will." 

A  book,  however,  older  than  that  of  the  dramatic  poet, 
and  one  from  which  he  had  drawn,  uncredited,  so  largely, 
had  uttered  the  sentiment  in  countless  forms  of  expres- 
sion long  before;  and  we  need  only  go  to  that  old  book  of 
life  to  learn,  that  "it  is  not  in  man  that  walketh  to  direct 
his  steps,"  and  that  "  our  ways  are  from  the  Lord." 

We  have  already  spoken  of  a  pioneer  preacher  who 
had  penetrated  these  wilds.  On  a  certain  occasion, 
gloomy  and  melancholy  as  the  dark  denies  and  solitudes 
around  him,  he  might  have  been  seen  urging  his  steed 
through  the  forest,  in  search  of  a  new  appointment  in 
that  wild  region.  At  length  he  arrives,  and  surrounded 
by  the  old  and  young  from  far  and  near,  he  opens  his 
message.  One  dark  eye  in  that  assembly  scans  tho 
preacher,  though  the  mind  is  intently  fixed  upon  the 
sermon.  Preaching  gave  the  itinerant  relief,  as  it  af- 
forded him  an  opportunity  to  unburden  his  heart  in  the 
description  of  another's.  The  shade  passed  from  his 
countenance,  the  dark,  lustrous  eye  was  kindled  with 
light  and  softened  by  tears,  and  the  simple,  truthful, 
loving  eloquence  which  fell  from  his  tongue  found  way 


SKETCHES    OF 


to  every  heart.     Young  Ulin,  for  it  was  him  among  the 
rest  of  that  backwoods  assembly  that  we  have  alluded  to, 
never  was  so  strangely  and  powerfully  touched  before! 
He  saw  and  felt,  in  the  light  of  the  Gospel  of  a  free  sal- 
vation,  for  the  first  time  that  he  was  a  sinner,  and  that 
he  must  be  converted  or  lost.     He  was  among  the  first  at 
the  rude  altar  for  prayer,  as  a  seeker  of  salvation,  an<J 
after  an  earnest  struggle,  with  strong  crying  and  tears, 
he  found  the  pearl  of  great  price,  and  was  made  happy  in 
the  love  of  God.     His  conversion  was  clear  and  powerful, 
and  of  such  a  nature  as  forever  to  shut  up  all  avenues  to; 
doubt  in  regard  to  it.     A  glorious  change  had  come  aver 
him,  and  he  now  withdrew  from  the  sports  of  the  wild- 
wood,  and  directed  his  attention  to  the  more  staid  and 
sober  pursuits  of  life.     Not  long  after  his  conversion,  he 
felt  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  engage  in  the  work  of 
calling  sinners  to  repentance,  and  such  were  the  gifts, 
grace,  and  usefulness  that  characterized  his  labors,  that 
he  was  duly  licensed  to  preach  as  a  local  preacher.     He 
did  not,  however,  continue  long  in  this  vocation.     His 
ardent  spirit  longed  for  a  wider  field  of  usefulness,  and  he 
sighed  to  be  given  up  exclusively  to  the  work  of  saving 
souls.     Though  he  had  a  family,  and,  ira  consequence  of 
the  great  difficulty  in  that  day  of  getting  a  support,  few, 
if  any,  preachers  with  families  were  admitted  into  con- 
ference, yet,   because  of  his  extraordinary  talents   and 
burning  zeal,  he  was  admitted  into  the  itinerant  ranks  at 
Hillsboro,  October  4,  1826. 

His  first  appointment  was  to  Burlington  circuit,  on 
which  he  was  continued  one  year,  and  where  he  labored 
with  great  success  as  a  herald  of  the  cross  to  perishing 
thousands.  His  next  appointment  was  Charleston,  Vir" 
ginia,  embracing  a  wild  but  beautiful  country  on  the 
Kanawha  and  Elk  rivers.  Here  he  blew  the  soft  and 
silvery  tones  of  the  Gospel  trumpet,  which  waked  the 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  4:79 

shoes  of  the  mountains  and  vales  of  that  picturesque 
,nd,  and  many  were  the  hearts  that  were  touched  and 
iclted  at  the  sound.  Reader,  have  you  ever  heard 
ie  Alpine  horn,  gliding  in  smooth  cadences  over  the 
aters,  floating  through  the  vales,  and  echoing  back  in 
>fter  tones  from  the  mountains,  plaintive  as  the  coo  of  a 
ove,  and  sweet  as  the  lute  of  an  angel  ?  If  you  have,  it 
ill  give  you  some  conception  of  the  clear,  soft,  far- 
jaching  voice  of  John  Ulin.  We  have  heard  the  grand, 
ablime  roar  of  the  lion-like  Bascom,  as  with  the  majestic 
weep  of  a  hurricane  it  leveled  the  forests  of  men  at  im- 
icnse  camp  meetings,  and  we  have  heard  the  soft  and 
loquently-beautiful  strains  of  the  lamb-like  Summerfield, 
a  it  won  and  melted  all  hearts  in  the  crowded  churches 
f  our  great  cities ;  but  we  never  heard  a  voice  which,  for 
weetness,  compass,  and  power,  excelled  that  of  John 
Ilin.  He  was  emphatically  a  child  of  Nature,  and  grew 
ip  amid  the  sublime  and  beautiful  scenes  which  God 
timself  had  formed,  and  the  clumsy  hand  of  man  had  not 
uarred,  and  he  gathered  his  inspiration  from  these  scenes, 
ogether  with  the  deep  communings  of  his  owa  heart 

nth  God. 

From  Virginia  he  was  sent  to  Gallipolis,  including  that 
own  and  the  country  lying  upon  the  waters  of  Raccoon, 
3hickamauga,  Kiger,  and  Shade  rivers.  This  was  a  large 
jircuit,  and  it  was  laborious  to  travel,  but  the  faithful 
jerald  sounded  the  clear  notes  of  the  Gospel  in  all  its 
encHh  and  breadth.  Methodism  had  made  but  little 
progress  in  Gallipolis.  It  was  settled  by  the  French,  as 
its  name  imports,  and  they  were  mostly  Roman  Catholics, 
having  brought  their  priest  with  them  from  Paris.  From 
gome  "cause  or  other,  many  years  ago  they  were,  we  are 
informed,  excommunicated  en  masse,  and  since  then  they 
have  not  felt  disposed  to  unite  with  any  Protestant  de- 
nomination, though  some  of  the  descendants  of  the  old 


SKETCHES   OF 

settlers  have  laid  aside  their  prejudices  and  become  con- 
nected with  different  denominations.  After  laboring  in 
this  field  for  one  year,  Ulin  was  sent  to  Salt  Creek  circuit, 
embracing  the  towns  of  Piketon  and  Waverly  and  the 
surrounding  country.  Some  parts  of  this  circuit  were 
settled  by  old  Methodists  from  Virginia;  and  one  neigh- 
borhood particularly,  a  few  miles  below  Piketon,  called 
now  the  Barnes  neighborhood,  was  settled  by  an  old 
brother  Boydston  and  his  family,  who  were  stanch 
Methodists  of  the  old  school.  Here  brother  Ulin  found 
a  welcome  home,  and  was  instrumental  in  the  awakening 
and  conversion  of  some  of  the  children  of  the  ancient 
families  residing  there.  There  was  another  settlement 
on  the  Big  Bottom,  called  Foster's,  which  was  a  strong- 
hold of  Methodism,  and  there,  also,  our  brother  was  made 
a  blessing  to  the  Church.  Piketon  was  a  wicked  place, 
and  there  were  but  a  few  Methodists  there  in  the  days  of 
Ulin,  though  the  Church  since  has  grown  largely.  Hia 
next  and  last  field  of  labor  was  New  Richmond,  with  the 
now  sainted  Collins.  But  his  work  was  done.  The 
cholera  was  doing  its  dreadful  work.  He  and  his  be- 
loved companion  were  engaged  in  ministering  to  the 
wants  of  the  sick  and  dying.  In  the  midst  of  her  kind 
ministrations  she  was  seized  with  the  malady,  and  in  a 
few  hours  death  terminated  her  labors  of  love.  The  last 
sad  office,  of  consigning  the  wife  of  his  youth  and  the 
mother  of  his  children  to  the  grave,  was  scarcely  per- 
formed ere  the  fell  monster  seized  him,  and  there  in  his 
little  hut,  surrounded  by  eight  lovely,  helpless  children,  the 
father  breathed  his  last.  He  had  nothing  to  leave  them 
but  a  father's  blessing  and  a  father's  prayers.  He  gave 
up  all  for  Christ,  and  when  he  died  he  gave  his  children 
to  the  Savior.  After  bidding  them,  one  by  one,  an  af- 
fectionate adieu,  he  told  them  to  live  for  Grod,  and  meet 
their  father  and  mother  in  heaven.  In  the  midst  of  the 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  481 

ears  and  heart-breaking  sobs  of  those  children,  he 
iouted  victory  over  death,  and  went  to  join  the  sainted 
bove.  We  were  on  another  part  of  the  district  when 
le  event  occurred,  but  we  hastened  with  rapid  pace  to 
)ok  after  the  dear  children.  Before  we  arrived,  how- 
ver,  father  Collins  and  the  stewards  had  them  all  pro- 
ided  with  good  homes,  where  they  were  brought  up  in  the 
urture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  and  some  of  them, 
e  know,  this  day  are  following  in  the  footsteps  of  their 
arents  to  heaven. 

Inscrutable  as  are  the  ways  of  Providence,  we  know 
iat  "He  doeth  all  things  well."     And  though  unbelief 

ight  ask  in  such  a  time  of  trial,  "  where  now  is  thy 
5rod?"  yet  the  Providence  which  took  the  parents  to 
aeaven  provided  bountifully  for  the  children,  and  he 
*ho  is  the  Father  of  the  fatherless  will  always  "  temper 
;he  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb." 
41 


SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

WILLIAM    PHILLIPS. 

THE  subject  of  this  narrative  was  born  in  Jessamine 
county,  Kentucky,  on  the  7th  of  May,  1797.  His  parents 
were  pious,  and,  as  might  be  expected,  William  was 
brought  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 
We  believe  there  are  no  children  whose  early  training 
has  been  religious,  but  become,  at  a  very  early  period  in 
life,  the  subjects  of  the  Spirit's  awakening  influences. 
"The  promise  is  to  us  and  to  our  children,"  and  if  we 
devote  them  to  God,  and  labor  to  bring  them  up  in  his 
nurture  and  admonition,  we  may  conclude,  with  certainty, 
that  the  germs  of  truth  planted  in  their  young  hearts, 
and  baptized  by  our  prayers  and  tears,  will  receive  the 
additional  watering  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  without  whose 
genial  and  attractive  influences  all  human  agencies  must 
prove  unavailing.  Thus  educated,  young  Phillips  soon 
became  impressed  with  the  importance  and  necessity  of 
religion,  and  often  was  induced  to  turn  his  attention  to 
the  subject.  After  laboring  hard  all  day — for  the  youth 
of  that  period  were  not  brought  up  in  idleness,  whatever 
else  might  be  said  about  them — he  would  spend  the  even- 
ing in  writing  prose  and  poetry,  for  both  of  which  species 
of  composition  his  mind  took  an  early  turn,  and  he 
seemed  to  take  great  delight  in  the  exercise.  Many  of 
these  lucubrations  have  been  kindly  submitted  to  our 
examination  by  his  son,  Mr.  J.  M.  Phillips,  chief  clerk 
of  the  Book  Concern.  Some  of  his  poetic  effusions  are 
highly  creditable.  Among  his  papers  is  a  melodramatic 


WKSTEKN    METHODISM.  483 

^ 

i  performance,  entitled,  "  The  Hypocrisy  Unmasked"  the 
[prologue  to  which  is  written  in  poetry,  and  which,  for 
point  and  poetic  merit,  we  think  could  not  be  excelled 
by  any  poetic  wit  of  the  present  day. 

It  was  customary  for  the  farmers  in  the  section  of  the 
j  country  where  young  Phillips  lived  to  raise  their  hogs  in 
ithe  woods;  and  there  being  an  abundance  of  mast,  they 
[would  grow  fat  without  any  other  feeding.  When  the 
i  time  for  killing  came,  each  farmer  would  sally  forth  and 
collect  his  hogs,  which  he  was  enabled  to  do  from  the  fact 
that  each  owner  had  a  private  ear-mark,  by  which  he 
could  identify  his  stock,  and  distinguish  it  from  those  of 
his  neighbors.  It  happened  that  there  lived  a  family  in 
the  neighborhood,  who,  lacking  that  honesty  which  should 
have  characterized  all  in  those  early  times  of  privation 
and  toil,  did  not  scruple  to  appropriate  their  neighbors' 
hogs  to  their  own  use,  without  fear  of  discovery,  as 
they  cut  off  the  ears  of  the  hogs,  thus  obliterating  all 
marks  of  ownership.  Many  efforts  were  made  to  detect 
them  in  their  nefarious  business;  but  as  they  carried  on 
their  depredations  so  secretly,  usually  taking  the  night 
season  for  their  work  of  pillage,  they  eluded  detection. 
The  whole  neighborhood  seemed  to  be  satisfied  that  they 
were  guilty;  but  as  it  could  not  be  proven,  they  con- 
tinued to  carry  on  their  thieving  with  impunity.  Young 
Phillips  was  aware  of  the  state  of  things,  and  set  himself 
to  work  to  write  a  short  poem  descriptive  of  hog-stealing, 
and  containing  such  an  unmistakable  description  of  the 
thieves,  that  all  who  read  it  would  understand  the  appli- 
cation as  certainly  as  though  he  had  named  the  persons 
themselves.  He  knew  the  force  of  public  opinion,  if 
it  could  only  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  guilty;  and, 
accordingly,  keeping  the  matter  a  profound  secret  from 
every  body,  he  waited  till  some  public  occasion  would  call 
out  the  neighborhood.  It  was  not  long  till  such  an  occa 


484:  SKETCHES    OF 

sion  presented  itself.  Taking  his  poem  with  him,  which 
he  had  written  in  a  disguised  hand,  and  which  none  but 
himself  could  read,  he  went  to  the  public  gathering. 
While  mingling  with  the  crowd  he  purposely  dropped  it, 
knowing  it  would  be  picked  up  by  some  one.  It  was  not 
long  till  it  was  rumored  that  a  curious  writing  was  found, 
and  the  ingenuity  and  learning  of  all  was  taxed  to  deci- 
pher its  contents.  Finally  it  was  brought  to  Phillips, 
who,  taking  it,  and  looking  at  it  for  some  time,  said  he 
thought  he  could  make  it  out  by  hard  spelling.  When 
he  had  examined  it  sufficiently  long,  occasionally  calling 
a  knowing  one  to  help  him  out  with  a  hard  word,  he 
mounted  a  stump  and  began.  At  first  he  stammered 
considerably,  which  only  increased  the  interest,  making 
certain  points  more  emphatic.  As  he  progressed  every 
eye  was  turned  to  the  hog-stealers,  whose  persons  and 
conduct  were  described  to  the  life ;  and  before  he  had  fin- 
ished they  skulked  away  from  the  crowd,  unable  any 
longer  to  withstand  the  battery  of  eyes  that  was  opened 
upon  them,  and  the  shouts  and  peals  of  laughter  which 
rent  the  air.  Suffice  it  to  say,  the  hog-thieves  left  the 
neighborhood,  and  no  complaint  was  ever  after  heard  of 
such  depredations. 

But  the  most  satirical  thing  in  the  English  language 
we  ever  read,  is  his  poem  entitled,  "Alexander  the  Great; 
or,  The  Learned  Camel."  Many  of  our  readers  have, 
doubtless,  seen  this  production,  as  it  was  once  published 
and  somewhat  extensively  circulated.  It  was  designed 
as  an  expose  of  Campbellism,  or  the  "Christians,"  as 
they  are  denominated;  but  more  familiarly  known  as  the 
Reformers,  or  Campbellite  Baptists — a  denomination 
quite  numerous  in  Kentucky.  It  flashes  throughout 
with  the  most  keen  and  cutting  satire,  and  gives  evi- 
dence of  high  poetic  talent,  as  well  as  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  system  which  it  exposes. 


WE8TEKN     METHODISM.  485 

We  will  give  a  few  stanzas  of  the  poein,  which  will 
enable  the  reader  to  form  some  judgment  of  its  charac- 
ter. We  would  refer  to  the  poem  itself,  but  it  has  long 
been  out  of  print.  It  begins  thus : 

"  In  times  of  old,  as  books  relate, 
Lived  Alexander— called  the  Great ; 
Who  conquered  Greece,  and  Persia,  too, 
And  did  the  universe  subdue ; 
Made  kings  his  slaves,  and  every  nation 
Filled  with  blood  and  desolation. 
But  Alexander,  mounted  on 
Bucephalus,  and  clothed  upoii 
"With  all  the  panoply  of  war, 
Was  more  diminutive,  by  far, 
Compared  to  modern  Alexander, 
Than  is  a  goslin  to  a  gander ; 
For,  reader,  know  we  have  of  late 
A  second  Alexander  great — 
A  man  of  more  deserved  renown 
Than  he  who  tumbled  cities  down : 
More  great,  more  bold,  and  learned,  too, 
Than  e'er  was  Christian,  Turk,  or  Jew ; 
And  should  you  doubt  his  fame  or  glory, 
Pray  give  attention  to  my  story." 

After  this  introduction  there  follows,  in  the  same  vein 
of  cutting  satire,  a  description  of  the  tenets  of  the  Rev. 
Alexander  Campbell,  in  three  hundred  lines.  At  the 
close  is  an  oration,  supposed  to  have  been  delivered  by 
Mr.  Campbell,  of  which  we  give  the  first  two  stanzas,  as 
follows : 

"  Ho,  every  mother's  son  and  daughter ! 
Here's  the  Gospel  in  the  water ; 
Here's  the  ancient  Gospel  way ; 
Here's  the  road  to  endless  day; 
To  the  kingdom  of  the  Savior, 
You  must  enter  in  the  river. 
Every  mother's  son  and  daughter, 
Here's  the  Gospel  in  the  water. 

All  ye  sous  of  Adam's  race, 
Come  and  share  this  wat'ry  grace! 

41* 


4:86  SKETCHES   OF 

Water  is  the  healing  lotion, 
Vast  as  the  Atlantic  Ocean ; 
Water  purifies  the  nation, 
Water  is  regeneration : 
Every  mother's  son  and  daughter, 
Here's  the  Gospel  in  the  water." 

So  much  for  the  poetry  of  brother  Phillips.  His  prose 
compositions  we  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  to  hereafter, 
and  shall,  therefore,  resume  our  sketch. 

When  he  arrived  at  mature  age  he  entered  the  bois- 
terous, stormy  sea  of  political  life.  Leaving  the  quiet 
and  beautiful  vale  of  the  muses,  and  the  sacred  walks  of 
song,  and  embarking  upon  the  stormy  wave  of  popular 
excitement,  he  was  well  nigh  being  shipwrecked,  at  least 
so  far  as  religious  impressions  and  tendencies  were  con- 
cerned. To  cut  loose,  if  possible,  from  all  religious 
thoughts  and  restraints — for  his  early  religious  training 
had  a  wonderful  hold  upon  his  conscience — he  resorted 
to  the  reading  of  infidel  books,  and  pursued  their  study 
till  clouds  and  darkness,  and  doubt  and  uncertainty,  gath- 
ered around  his  mind,  shutting  out  the  beautiful  visions 
of  his  earlier  days.  His  early  training,  however,  in 
habits  of  virtue,  proved  a  barrier  too  strong  for  the  en- 
croachments of  infidelity  j  and  though  he  had  learned 
to  doubt,  he  nevertheless  retained  a  high  regard  for  mo- 
rality, and  could  not  obliterate  from  his  mind  the  truth  of 
Christianity.  He  continued  in  this  skeptical  state,  hov- 
ering, as  it  were,  over  the  dark  confines  of  infidelity,  till 
he  was  settled  in  life,  and  had  the  charge  of  a  rising 
family.  The  following  account  of  his  conviction  for  sin 
and  his  awakening  to  a  sense  of  his  lost  condition,  in 
which  the  blank  and  cheerless  nature  of  infidelity  was 
strongly  contrasted  with  the  satisfying  portion  religion 
imparts,  was  given  by  him,  in  a  love-feast,  soon  after  his 
conversion : 

"  One  morning,"  said  he,  "  I  returned  home  in  a  mel- 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  487 

ancholy  state  of  feeling,  after  having  spent  the  night 
from  home,  engaged  in  some  political  feats.  I  took  iny 
seat  in  a  room  by  myself.  Very  soon  my  eldest  son, 

about  eight  years  old,  came  to  me,  and  said,  *  B 

has  experienced  religion ;'  and  then  inquired,  l  What  is 
relic/ion?'  Here  conviction  seized  my  mind,  for  I  could 
not  answer  the  questions  of  the  child.  I  said,  Is  it  pos- 
sible that  I,  who  was  blessed  with  a  religious  education, 
have  raised  a  child  to  this  age,  who  inquires  of  me  what 
religion  is,  and  I  can  not  tell  him !  I  then  resolved  to 
reform  my  life,  and  examine  the  evidences  of  Chris- 
tianity." 

He  did  not  delay  this  great  work,  but  set  about  it  with 
diligence.  He  was  soon  convinced  of  the  divine  reality 
of  religion,  and  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
as  a  seeker.  He  earnestly  sought  the  Lord  with  bitter 
sighs  and  tears ;  but  his  mourning  was  soon  turned  into 
joy.  Five  days  after  he  joined  the  Church  he  received 
the  evidence  of  his  acceptance,  at  Old  Fort  meeting-house, 
in  Montgomery  county,  Kentucky.  It  was  manifest  to  all 
that  he  was  the  subject  of  a  great  change.  He  shortly 
after  felt  intensely  the  worth  of  souls,  and  believed  that 
he  was  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
of  which  he  afterward  gave  ample  testimony.  On  the 
27th  of  December,  1828,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  as  a 
local  preacher  by  the  quarterly  meeting  conference  of 
Mount  Sterling  circuit.  In  this  capacity  he  labored  with 
success,  till  he  found  that  his  field  of  labor  was  too  circum- 
scribed. He  was  duly  recommended  and  received  into 
the  Kentucky  conference,  in  the  fall  of  1831,  at  its  ses- 
sion at  Louisville,  after  he  had  labored  as  a  local  preacher 
for  nearly  three  years.  He  was  appointed  successively  to 
Winchester  and  Lexington  circuits,  and  Newport  and 
Covington  station;  having  been  reappointed  to  the  last 
two  places  so  as  to  serve  each  two  years  in  succession, 


SKETCHES    OF 

except  the  time  that  elapsed  between  his  appointment  by 
the  General  conference  and  the  termination  of  his  con- 
ference year,  which  was  still  shortened  by  his  unexpected 
death.  He  received  deacon's  and  elder's  orders  at  the 
regular  periods  in  which  these  offices  are  usually  con- 
ferred. 

In  the  mean  time  he  was  appointed  by  the  Book  Com 
mittee  assistant  editor  of  the  Western  Christian  Advo- 
cate; and  after  serving  in  this  capacity  one  year,  he  was 
elected  to  that  post  by  the  General  conference  of  1886. 
Possessing  talents  of  a  high  order  as  a  writer,  he  contrib- 
uted largely  of  the  products  of  his  pen  to  the  columns  of 
the  Advocate.  Among  other  of  his  numerous  produc- 
tions was  a  serial,  entitled,  u Carnpbellisin  Exposed;  or,  < 
Strictures  on  the  Peculiar  Tenets  of  Alexander  Camp- 
bell." This  serial  began  with  the  January  number  of 
1835,  and  closed  in  April,  1836,  but  a  few  months  before 
his  death.  The  articles,  as  they  appeared  in  the  Advo- 
cate, received  a  wide  favor  all  over  the  country,  and  were 
read  with  interest  and  profit  by  thousands.  The  Ohio 
conference,  which  met  about  one  month  subsequent  to 
his  decease,  passed  a  unanimous  resolution,  requesting 
the  Agents  to  publish  the  Strictures  in  a  book  form, 
which  was  in  due  time  accomplished,  and  the  work  placed 
upon  the  General  Catalogue.  This  little  volume  has  had 
an  extensive  sale ;  and  we  know  of  no  work  better  calcu- 
lated to  expose  the  errors  of  the  Campbellites  than  the 
Strictures.  To  those  who  have  not  read  it,  we  take  the 
liberty  of  calling  attention  to  the  able  manner  in  which 
the  subject  is  discussed.  In  the  first  chapter  the  author 
gives  a  clear  statement  of  the  Campbellite  doctrine  of 
baptism,  and  introduces  the  texts  upon  which  the  Camp- 
bellites rely  in  support  of  their  doctrine.  The  clear  and 
critical  exegesis  of  the  author  on  those  texts  shows  that 
they  arc  wrested  from  their  obvious  import  by  the  advo- 


WESTERN    METHODI8M.  489 

cates  of  Campbellism,  and  neither  really  nor  apparently 
sustain  their  views.  The  next  chapter  discusses  the  true 
condition  of  regeneration  as  represented  in  the  Bible, 
and  as  contradistinguished  from  water  regeneration. 
Chapter  third  is  devoted  to  an  examination  of  the  agency 
employed  in  the  work  of  regeneration.  The  succeeding 
chapter  examines  the  mode  of  baptism,  and  discusses  the 
true  import  of  the  term  baptize,  furnishing  clear  and 
cogent  reasons  for  baptism  by  sprinkling,  and  against 
baptism  by  immersion.  The  fifth  chapter  is  confined  to 
the  subject  of  Creeds,  while  the  remaining  chapters,  in 
a  most  masterly  manner,  discuss  the  subject  of  Sects, 
Sectarianism,  and  the  Call  to  the  Ministry,  concluding 
with  a  recapitulation  containing  a  summary  of  what  had 
been  advanced  in  the  foregoing  pages. 

From  the  way  in  which  Mr.  Campbell  ranted  and  raved 
against  the  Methodists,  about  the  time  the  Strictures 
appeared,  and  for  a  long  time  afterward,  we  are  led  to 
conclude  that  they  told  powerfully  upon  the  strongholds 
of  the  system;  for  men  generally  lose  their  temper  when 
they  fail  in  argument.  Among  the  papers  of  brother 
Phillips  are  many  valuable  manuscript  sermons.  The 
most  interesting  portion  of  his  manuscripts  were,  how- 
ever, unfortunately  lost. 

Elevated  by  his  talents  to  the  permanent  post  of  as- 
sistant editor,  a  long  and  brilliant  career  of  usefulness 
was  before  him.  Associated  with  Dr.  Elliott,  whose 
extensive  and  varied  learning  eminently  qualified  him 
for  the  post  of  principal  editor  of  the  paper  and  books 
of  the  Church,  he  was,  from  his  talents  as  a  polemic 
and  his  acquaintance  with  polite  and  general  literature, 
a  most  desirable  acquisition;  but,  alas!  how  uncertain 
were  all  earthly  hopes  and  prospects;  for  in  the  brief 
space  of  only  three  weeks  and  two  days  after  his  appoint- 
ment, he  was  called  away  from  the  scenes  of  his  toil  on 


490  SKETCHES    OF 

earth  to  the  rest  and  blessedness  of  heaven.  Short  but 
brilliant  was  his  career. 

The  ensuing  annual  conference  filled  the  vacancy  oc- 
casioned by  his  death,  in  the  editorial  department,  with 
the  gifted  and  eloquent  Hamline,  who,  with  Dr.  Elliott, 
furnished  the  following  brief  memoir  of  the  last  hours, 
together  with  a  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  their 
fellow-laborer : 

"On  the  22d  of  June,  1836,  he  was  confined  to  his 
bed  by  a  violent  attack  of  fever.  For  several  days  pre- 
vious to  this  he  felt  manifest  indications  of  an  approach- 
ing assault  of  severe  sickness.  During  his  confinement 
of  six  weeks  and  two  days,  he  suffered  much  pain  of 
body,  which  was  borne  with  great  patience.  When  the 
fever  was  high  he  was  affected  with  delirium ;  but  when 
the  fever  abated  he  was  in  the  full  exercise  of  his  mental 
faculties.  Shortly  after  he  was  taken  ill  he  gave  instruc- 
tions to  his  afflicted  wife,  respecting  her  concerns  and 
future  residence,  intimating  to  her  that  the  present  dis- 
ease would  prove  fatal.  He  also  called  his  childz-en  to 
his  bedside,  and  solemnly  and  without  tears,  yet  deeply 
affected,  gave  them  the  charge  and  instructions  of  a  par- 
ent on  the  verge  of  eternity.  In  his  moments  of  self- 
possession,  both  when  asked  and  unsolicited,  he  expressed 
himself  strongly,  yet  very  humbly,  respecting  his  confi- 
dence in  God  and  the  enjoyments  of  religion,  which  he 
evidently  possessed  in  a  high  degree.  At  one  time, 
when  it  was  thought  he  was  dying,  he  was  asked,  '  If  all 
was  well?'  he  calmly  replied,  'I  feel  for  me  to  live  is 
Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain.'  He  then  spoke  of  the  good- 
ness and  mercy  that  had  followed  him  all  the  days  of  his 
life.  At  another  time,  when  he  complained  of  a  pain 
in  his  breast,  it  was  said  to  him,  l  When  we  get  to  heaven 
we  shall  then  be  done  suffering.  Pain  and  affliction  will 
be  over,  and  God  shall  wipe  tears  from  every  eye.  Do 


WESTERN    MKTHODISM.  491 

you  expect  to  get  there?'  He  replied,  'Yes;  my  soul 
sometimes  exults  at  the  prospect;'  and,  with  a  faltering 
voice,  he  added,  '  Yes,  glory  to  God !'  At  another  time 
he  said  to  a  friend,  *  My  mind  is  entirely  at  peace.  It  is 
doubtful  whether  I  Bhall  recover  from  this  sickness ;  but 
to  me  death  has  no  terror,  the  grave  no  gloom.  If  it 
were  the  Lord's  will  I  would  like  to  live,  that  I  might 
make  some  better  provision  for  the  temporal  and  spiritual 
welfare  of  my  family.  But  why  do  I  talk  thus?  The 
Lord  is  sufficient.  I  now  wish  to  leave  this  with  you  as 
my  testimony,  that  my  hope  is  in  Christ,  through  whose 
blood  I  shall  conquer.  I  now  feel  none  but  Jesus  can 
do  suffering  sinners  good.'  Again  he  said,  'In  retro- 
specting  the  past,  contemplating  the  present,  or  looking 
forward  to  the  future,  I  have  nothing  to  fear.'  There  is 
no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  any  of  his  friends  concerning 
his  triumphant  entrance  into  the  paradise  of  God.  He 
departed  this  life  on  the  night  of  the  4th  of  August, 
1836,  at  half  past  twelve,  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati.  His 
remains  were  carried  to  Wesley  Chapel,  on  Saturday,  the 
Gth,  at  10  o'clock,  A.  M.,  where  an  impressive  sermon 
was  delivered  by  the  Ilev.  J.  F.  Wright,  from  Psalm 
xlvi,  10  :  '  Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God.'  His  body 
is  deposited  in  the  Methodist  burying-ground  till  the  res- 
urrection of  the  just.  In  his  death  the  editorial  corps 
has  lost  a  valuable  member,  and  the  Church  has  been 
deprived  of  the  services  of  one  of  her  most  faithful  and 
efficient  sons. 

"  As  a  Christian,  he  is  to  be  ranked  among  the  excel- 
lent. Entire  reliance  on  the  mercy  of  God,  and  the 
vicarious  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ,  was  the  strongest 
and  most  prominent  exercise  of  his  mind  during  his 
affliction;  and,  indeed,  this  was  the  settled  disposition  of 
his  very  soul  from  the  time  he  first  embraced  religion ; 
but  which  increased  as  he  grew  in  grace,  so  as  to  form  an 


492  SKETCHES    OF 

abiding,  firm  exercise  of  his  mind.     His  reliance  on  the 
Redeemer  was  such,  that 

•His  blood  and  righteousness 
He  made  his  oiily  plea.' 

"  The  expression,  .Lord,  have  mercy,  which  he  repeated 
much  during  his  sickness,  indicated  to  those  who  heard 
him,  that  reliance  on  Jesus  Christ  was,  with  him,  perma- 
nent and  unwavering.  In  patience  he  possessed  his  soul 
to  such  a  degree  that  the  severest  pains  could  not  wrest 
a  murmur  from  his  lips. 

"  His  ministerial  gifts  and  qualification*  were  considered 
to  be  of  the  most  useful  kind.  The  following  extract 
of  a  letter  from  an  aged  and  experienced  member  of  the 
Church,  will  place  the  ministerial  character  of  brother 
Phillips  in  a  very  amiable  light: 

"'While  we  would  cast  in  our  mite  in  honor  of  his 
Christian  character,  and  for  the  encouragement  of  others 
to  follow  his  example,  we  being  intimately  acquainted 
with  him  for  the  two  years  he  traveled  Lexington  circuit, 
Kentucky,  our  house  being  almost  his  constant  home 
once  in  four  weeks,  as  he  traveled  round  his  circuit,  we, 
who  have  been  acquainted  with  Methodist  preachers  for 
near  fifty  years,  and  some  of  us  strict  observers  of  men 
and  things  for  more  than  forty  years,  are  more  than  will- 
ing to  give  in  our  testimony  to  the  Christian  and  evan- 
gelical or  apostolical  character  of  brother  Phillips.  And 
first,  a  more  pious,  studious,  grave,  cheerful,  humble,  lov- 
ing, laborious,  and  effective  preacher  we  have  never  known. 
In  a  word,  he  seemed  all  goodness,  not  only  for  a  short 
time — as  too  many  often  are — but  all  the  time  alike  good. 
In  the  pulpit,  whether  the  congregations  were  large  or 
small,  he  was  like  a  lamp  to  light  up  their  intellects— 
his  doctrines  so  pure  and  evangelical,  his  reasoning  so 
profound,  his  language  so  appropriate,  that  all  acknowl- 
edged him  much  of  a  master  workman.  In  company  he 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  493 

was  very  social  and  friendly;  in  our  family  he  was  always 
instructive ;  unto  the  aged  he  was  reverential ;  with  the 
young  he  was  familiar,  and  acted  much  of  the  philoso- 
pher; while  all  his  language  and  deportment  seemed 
reasoned  with  grace  and  warm  affection.  We  recognize 
him  this  moment,  fresh  in  our  memories.  His  almost 
constant  practice  in  the  winter  nights  was  to  instruct  our 
daughters  and  sons  in  the  rudiments  of  singing,  as  also 
in  the  way  of  salvation,  with  several  other  branches  of 
useful  instruction.  He  often  put  us  in  mind  of  the  old 
Methodist  preacher  that  some  of  us  knew  nearly  fifty 
rears  ago  in  old  Virginia,  that  used  to  preach  at  my 
grandfather's.  We  were  acquainted,  also,  with  the  cir- 
cuit preachers  that  preached  at  my  father's  for  several 
[years  in  Kentucky,  where  the  preachers  made  their  home. 
jAmong  those  preachers  were  but  few  Phillipses  to  be 
found.  For  twenty  years  or  more  we  have  not  known  a 
imore  excellent  and  profitable  man  than  brother  William 
Phillips.  But  he  is  gone  to  glory.  Is  it  possible  that  we 
ire  to  hear  from  him  no  more  this  side  of  heaven  ?' 

"To  this  unadorned  and  simple  testimony  other  ac- 
counts precisely  correspond. 

"  His  attainments  as  a  writer  place  him  deservedly,  if 
not  among  the  foremost  writers,  at  least  in  that  respecta- 
)le  class  which  would  raise  him  several  degrees  above 
nediocrity.  But  as  he  was  called  away  at  the  early  age 
jf  thirty-nine,  and,  therefore,  before  he  had  opportunity 
to  come  fairly  before  the  public,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
present  him  in  his  real  character  before  the  world.  His 
tmtings  in  the  Western  Christian  Advocate,  over  his 
proper  signature,  have  evident  marks  of  accurate  research, 
sound  judgment,  and  respectable  attainments.  Had  he 
;urned  his  attention  to  writing  at  an  earlier  period  of  his 
ife,  or  had  he  been  spared  longer,  he  would  probably  have 
tield  a  prominent  place  among  the  writers  of  this  age. 

42 


4:94  SKETCHES    OF 

"Brother  Phillips  was  little  above  the  ordinary  hight, 
and  rather  spare.  His  personal  appearance  was  not  only 
agreeable,  but  might  be  considered  dignified.  His  man- 
ners were  courteous  and  pleasing,  manifesting  a  disposi- 
tion to  be  friendly  to  all;  so  that  even  the  stranger  was 
often  prepossessed  in  his  favor;  but  he  was  respected 
most  by  those  who  knew  him  best.  He  was  truly  a  son 
of  peace ;  and  though  he  considered  it  his  duty  to  con- 
tend earnestly  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints, 
he  delighted  not  in  controversy.  Yet  into  this  he  was 
willing  to  enter  sooner  than  yield  up  any  portion  of, 
truth." 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  4:96 


CHAPTER  XL. 

THE     INTREPID     MISSIONARY. 

Methodist  Church  has  furnished  missionaries;  who 
for  zeal  and  courage,  in  planting  the  standard  of  tho 
cross  on  the  battlements  of  heathendom,  have  not  been 
excelled  by  any  other  denomination.  Of  this  number 
was  our  young  brother,  Daniel  Poe,  a  short  sketch  of 
whose  life  and  labors  we  propose  to  give.  He  was  born 
in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  on  the  12th  day  of  October, 
1809,  and  was  born  again  at  a  camp  meeting,  on  Wayne 
circuit,  five  miles  south  of  Wooster,  Ohio,  in  August, 
1825,  in  the  sixteenth  year  of  his  age.  He  united  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  the  house  of  Judge 
William  Henry,  near  where  the  town  of  Massillon  now 
stands,  under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  A.  Gtoff.  Though  but 
a  boy,  he  was  remarkable  for  his  exemplary  piety,  and 
was  soon  appointed  a  class-leader  and  licensed  to  exhort. 
In  April,  1830,  feeling  a  divine  call  to  the  ministry,  and 
desiring  to  prepare  himself  by  a  better  education,  he  went 
to  Worthington,  Ohio,  and  attended  an  academy  through 
the  summer.  In  the  same  autumn  he  went  to  Augusta 
College,  Kentucky.  During  vacation,  in  1832,  he  visited 
his  brother,  the  Rev.  Adam  Poe,  who  was  then  residing 
in  West  Chester,  and  traveling  Miami  circuit.  It  was 
while  he  was  there  that  we  first  formed  an  acquaintance 
with  him,  having  attended  with  his  brother  the  camp 
meeting  which  was  held  just  before  the  session  of  the 
Ohio  conference  at  Dayton.  By  our  advice  ho  was 
licensed  to  preach  and  recommended  to  travel.  He  was, 


4:96  SKETCHES    OF 

accordingly,  admitted  on  trial  in  the  Ohio  conference, 
and  appointed  to  travel  Letart  Falls  circuit,  with  the  late 
Rev.  A.  B.  Stroud  as  his  colleague,  and  Rev.  I.  C.  Hun- 
ter presiding  elder.  There  he  labored  successfully  and 
acceptably.  The  next  year  he  was  appointed  to  Eaton 
circuit,  with  Rev.  W.  Button,  and  we  were  his  presiding 
elder,  having  succeeded  Bishop  Morris,  who  commenced 
his  duties  as  editor  of  the  Western  Christian  Advocate. 
The  next  year  he  was  appointed  to  Hamilton  circuit,  with 
Rev.  J.  Hill,  and  in  1835  to  Oxford  circuit,  with  Rev. 
B.  Westlake.  In  May,  1836,  he  was  sent  by  Bishop 
Soule  to  the  Oneida  and  Menominee  mission,  west  of 
Green  Bay,  then  under  the  supervision  of  Rev.  John 
Clark,  now  of  the  Rock  River  conference.  Here  his 
labors  were  very  arduous  and  responsible.  He  com- 
menced a  school  among  the  Oneida  Indians  west,  and  ex- 
tended his  visits  to  Brothertown,  and  other  fragments  of 
tribes,  scattered  through  the  Wisconsin  territory.  On 
one  occasion,  in  the  month  of  February,  1837,  after  visit- 
ing an  encampment  of  Indian  hunters,  between  Green 
Bay  and  Lake  Winnebago,  he  wished  to  go  to  Brothertown 
to  meet  an  appointment;  and  as  he  made  all  these  jour- 
neys in  the  wilderness  on  foot,  finding  that  he  could  save 
some  thirty  miles  in  the  distance  by  crossing  the  lake  on 
the  ice,  he  proposed  to  do  so.  An  old  Indian  of  the 
company,  at  his  request,  took  him  in  a  bark  canoe  on  to 
the  ice,  which  was  at  that  point  parted  from  the  shore 
some  thirty  rods.  After  they  reached  the  ice,  the  Indian 
drawing  up  his  canoe,  ran  some  distance  forward,  and 
stooping  down  placed  his  ear  near  the  ice,  then  rising, 
he  said, 

"You  can't  cross,  you  must  go  back." 

Daniel,  however,  replied,  "I  have  an  appointment,  and 
I  must  go." 

"Then,"  said  the  Indian,  "you  drown." 


WfcSTEKN    MKTUODISM.  497 

He,  however,  persisted  in  going  forward.  The  Indian 
then  bade  him  farewell  with  tears,  saying,  "I  never  see 
you  more."  As  Daniel  could  see  across  the  lake,  he  felt 
confident  that  he  could  run  over  safely,  and  started  on  a 
rapid  trot.  After  passing  quietly  about  five  miles,  he 
heard  suddenly  a  report  as  of  a  cannon,  and  looking  for- 

!  ward,  saw  the  ice  breaking  and  rolling  up  in  waves  to- 
ward him.  Seeing  his  imminent  danger,  he  ran  with  all 
his  might  in  an  opposite  direction,  to  escape  the  opening 
made  by  the  swell.  Getting  round  it,  he  struck  his  course 

I  anew  for  the  same  point  on  the  opposite  shore  at  which 
he  had  before  been  aiming;  but  soon  again  he  heard  in 

.  advance  a  similar  alarming  report,  and  saw  the  ice  again 
thrown  up  by  the  rolling  waves.  Again  he  was  forced  to 
run  for  life.  In  a  word,  this  terrible  race  continued 
through  the  day.  Still  the  resolute  missionary  kept  hig 
eye  fixed  on  the  distant  shore,  and  ran  forward  as  soon 
as  he  could  avoid  one  opening,  only  to  meet  another, 
eating  as  he  ran,  when  he  became  hungry,  some  parched 
corn,  with  which  he  had  filled  the  capacious  pockets  of 

i  his  coat.  Just  as  night  was  closing  upon  him,  he  reached 
a  place  on  the  -ice  within  some  twenty  or  thirty  rods  of 

i  the  shore,  and  springing  into  the  water  and  swimming  for 

i  the  nearest  point  of  land  he  reached  it,  but  was  so  ex- 

:  hausted  as  to  be  unable  to  stand.  He  laid  down  upon 
the  beach,  a  bluff  of  some  forty  or  fifty  feet  being  above 
him,  which  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  ascend.  Here 
he  thought  his  toils  must  end,  and  he  gave  himself  up  to 

!  die.  After  commending  himself  to  God,  he  thought  of 
the  home  and  friends  he  should  see  no  more ;  he  thought 
how  those  dear  to  him  would  mourn  him  as  lost,  and 
never  probably  learn  how  he  had  died.  At  this  the  love 
of  life  sprung  up  in  his  heart  as  he  had  never  felt  it  be- 
fore, and  with  a  powerful  effort  he  rose  upon  his  knees. 
Crawling  along  the  beach  some  distance,  he  came  to  a 

42* 


498  SKETCHES    Of 

small  ravine,  where  the  melting  snow  was  running  down 
into  the  lake.  Up  this  he  clambered  on  his  hands  and 
knees,  taking  hold  of  bushes  and  roots  to  help  himself 
along,  till  he  reached  the  top  of  the  bank.  Here  he 
shouted  glory !  till  the  woods  rang.  The  moon  was  shin- 
ing beautifully,  lighting  up  the  snow-covered  forest  with 
its  brightness,  and,  hence,  there  was  sufficient  light  for 
him  to  find  his  way.  He  perceived  that  he  had  landed 
very  near  the  point  at  which  he  had  been  aiming,  and 
getting  into  an  Indian  trail,  after  resting  awhile  on  his 
snowy  bed,  he  started  forward  courageously  toward  his 
appointment,  at  Broth  ertown.  After  walking  some  dis- 
tance along  the  path,  he  saw  an  owl  light  on  a  bush  just 
before  him.  Being  exceedingly  hungry,  and  having  a 
loaded  pistol  in  his  pocket,  he  thought  he  would  shoot  it 
and  eat  it  raw.  He  approached  near,  with  his  pistol  in 
his  hand,  and  aiming  it  so  as  to  make  sure  of  his  prey,  he 
pulled  the  trigger;  but,  alas!  his  pistol  only  snapped. 
He  then  remembered  he  had  been  swimming  with  it  in 
his  pocket,  and  "I  think,"  said  he,  "I  never  felt  a  dis- 
appointment more  severely  than  to  see  that  owl  fly  slowly 
away,  leaving  my  hunger  unsatisfied."  After  walking 
about  five  miles,  he  came  to  an  Indian  camp  near  the 
trail.  He  entered  and  found  four  or  five  Indians,  who 
had  been  encamped  there  some  time  hunting.  They  were 
all  fast  asleep.  At  their  fire  he  saw  a  pot,  and  without  / 
waking  up  the  proprietors,  to  ask  their  leave,  he  helped 
himself  heartily  to  its  contents,  which  consisted  of  boiled 
venison  and  corn.  Then  lying  down  before  the  fire  with 
a  thankful  heart,  lie  fell  asleep  and  rested  sweetly  till 
nearly  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning,  when  finding  his 
hosts  all  up  and  gone  to  their  hunting,  he  again  helped 
himself  to  the  corn  and  venison,  and  pursued  his  journey 
to  Brothertowu,  where  he  preached  to  nearly  all  the  in-  * 
habitants  who  professed  to  be  Christians.  These  Indians 


WE8TKKN    METHODISM.  499 

had  lost  their  Indian  dialect,  and  were  speaking  only  the 
English  language.  Their  religion,  however,  appeared  to 
be  a  mixture  of  Christian  tradition  and  pagan  supersti- 
tion. They  had  an  old  woman  as  successor  to  their  last 
missionary,  who,  it  seemed,  had  been  a  Freewill  Baptist, 
and  they  regarded  her  with  great  confidence  as  a  prophet- 
ess. After  he  had  preached  to  them,  she  said  she  was 
taught  by  the  Spirit,  that  he  had  told  them  God's  truth. 
He  staid  several  days  preaching  to  them  and  visiting 
from  house  to  house.  About  twenty  professed  conversion, 
and  he  formed  them  into  a  class.  To  this,  however,  the 
prophetess  was  much  opposed,  and  told  them  the  preacher 
was  a  false  teacher,  and  they  must  not  join  his  Church. 
To  this  one  of  them  replied,  "  When  he  first  preached  to 
us,  you  said  the  Spirit  taught  you  that  he  told  us  God's 
truth.  Now  you  say,  without  the  Spirit,  that  he  is  a 
false  teacher."  The  old  woman  was  confounded.  The 
class  met  and  encouraged  each  other  in  the  service  of 
the  Lord. 

Daniel  continued  to  visit  them  monthly,  and  was  much 
aided  by  a  young  lady,  Miss  Jane  West  Ingram,  who, 
having  heard  of  their  settlement  and  condition  some 
months  before,  left  her  father's  house  at  Pontiac,  Michi- 
gan, and  procuring  school  books  at  Detroit,  took  passage 
on  a  steamboat  to  Green  Bay.  There  she  hired  an  In- 
dian guide  and  pony,  and  putting  her  books  in  a  bag  on 
the  pony,  she  started  with  her  guide,  riding  the  pony 
herself,  while  the  Indian  ran  before.  When  she  reached 
jthem,  she  told  them  that  she  had  come  to  teach  them, 
land  had  brought  them  books.  She  induced  them  to  build 
a  cabin  school-house,  and  gathered  all  the  children  she 
could  into  it.  There,  among  those  Indians,  without  any 
white  person  near  to  sympathize  with,  or  advise  her,  that 
young,  devoted  female  instructed  the  Indians  in  letters, 
daily  praying  with  and  for  them,  and  visiting  the  sick  and 


500  SKETCHES    OF 

suffering  among  them.  She  affectionately  pointed  them 
to  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world, 
and  had  seen  some  of  them  die  happy.  It  was  at  her 
request  that  Daniel  visited  them  and  commenced  his 
labors  among  them.  At  the  first  interview  of  these  young 
missionaries,  they  found  in  each  other  congenial  spirits, 
and  mutually  formed  an  attachment  for  each  other,  founded 
in  Christian  love.  In  the  month  of  June,  1837,  they 
were  married.  Jane  then  went  with  Daniel  to  the  Oneida 
mission,  and  her  place  in  the  Brothertown  school  was 
supplied  by  brother  Clark,  the  superintendent.  At  Oneida 
they  felt  the  need  of  a  house  of  worship.  Jane  had  some 
three  hundred  dollars,  which  she  had  earned  by  school- 
teaching  in  Michigan;  this  she  offered  as  capital  to  com- 
mence with.  Daniel  got  most  of  the  male  members  of 
the  mission  to  go  with  him  into  the  pine  woods,  on  Fox 
river,  and  cutting  saw-logs,  they  took  them  to  a  mill,  ten 
miles  distant,  and  prepared  lumber  for  their  house.  He 
came  out  to  the  ensuing  sessions  of  the  Michigan  and  Ohio 
conferences,  and  obtained  some  funds,  with  which  he  re- 
turned, and  soon  they  had  a  comfortable  meeting-house. 
There  has  been  a  flourishing  mission  ever  since  at  that 
place.  Our  young  brother  traveled  on  horseback  through 
an  almost  solitary  wilderness,  from  Green  Bay  to  Alton, 
Illinois,  in  the  autumn  of  1838,  to  attend  the  Illinois 
conference.  There  Bishop  Soule  transferred  him  back  to 
the  Ohio  conference.  He  could  not  get  back  to  Ohio  in 
time  to  get  an  appointment  that  year,  but  reached  his 
father's  house,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Massillon,  in  De- 
cember. He  visited  his  brother,  in  Tiffin,  who  was  pre- 
siding elder  of  that  district,  in  January,  1839 ;  and  one  of 
the  preachers  in  the  district  having  failed,  he  was  em- 
ployed on  Mexico  circuit,  where  he  labored  with  zeal  and 
usefulness,  till  the  session  of  his  conference,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1839,  when  he  was  apDointed  to  M'Arthurstown 


WESTEliN    METHODISM.  50] 

circuit.  The  next  two  years  he  was  appointed  to  Tarltoa. 
At  the  session  of  the  Ohio  conference,  held  at  Hamilton, 
September,  1842,  he,  by  the  advice  of  Bishop  Morris, 
took  a  transfer,  with  several  others,  to  the  Texas  confer- 
ence.  He  immediately  started  with  his  wife  and  three 
little  children,  the  youngest  but  a  few  weeks  old,  to  that 
then  Republic  of  the  Lone  Star.  His  letter,  published  in 
the  Western  Christian  Advocate,  of  May  19,  1843,  gives 
an  account  of  his  journey  there  and  the  session  of  the 
Texas  conference  held  that  season  at  Bastrop. 

During  his  first  year  in  Texas,  seeing  the  great  want  of 
schools  and  teachers  throughout  the  country,  after  con? 
sultation  with  Rev.  Littleton  Fowler,  his  presiding  elder, 
and  with  his  consent  and  by  his  advice,  he  came  to  Ohio 
and  obtained  a  corps  of  teachers,  with  whom  he  returned 
and  commenced  a  number  of  schools  at  most  of  the 
prominent  points  in  Eastern  Texas.  During  his  sojourn 
in  Ohio,  while  he  was  gathering  up  his  teachers,  there 
occurred  a  great  amount  of  sickness  and  suffering  at 
Milam,  where  his  family  was  located.  While  at  the  Ohio 
conference,  we  recollect  distinctly  the  thrilling  appeals  of 
this  intrepid  young  missionary.  When  some  of  his  breth- 
ren expressed  fears  for  his  safety  and  that  of  his  wife, 
whom  he  left  in  her  shanty  on  the  distant  plains  of  Texas, 
coupled  with  what  was  a  seeming  intimation,  that  their 
courage  would  scarcely  be  adequate  to  breast  the  dangers 
and  hardships  of  that  border  land,  he  replied,  that  "  if 
he  thought  there  was  a  drop  of  coward  blood  in  his  veins, 
he  would  let  it  out  with  his  jack-knife,  and  as  for  his 
wife,  there  could  be  no  fear  on  her  account,  as  he  found 
her  among  the  Brothertown  Indians  alone,  teaching  the 
children  in  the  wigwams  of  the  distant  west."  It  was  an 
interesting  season  in  the  conference,  and  many  of  the 
brethren  indulged  in  remarks  relative  to  the  missionaries 
of  olden  time.  One  brother  related  an  interview  he  had 


502  SKETCHES    OF 

with  the  Hon.  Thomas  Corwin,  who  said,  "Methodist 
preachers  were  the  very  men  for  the  times;  and  while 
they  went  with  their  elbows  out,  and  wore  blankets  in- 
stead of  coats,  peeling  bark  with  their  teeth,  and  sleep- 
ing in  the  woods,  those  who  affected  to  despise  them 
could  never  imitate  their  courage  or  rise  to  their  use- 
fulness." 

Daniel,  while  at  the  conference,  received  a  letter  from 
his  devoted  wife,  giving  a  thrilling  account,  among  other 
things,  of  the  conversion  of  an  infidel,  and,  also,  a  descrip- 
tion of  his  death.  The  editor  of  the  Ladies'  Repository, 
Rev.  L.  L.  Hamline,  requested  it  for  publication ;  and 
while  brother  Poe  was  on  his  return  home  on  the  steamer, 
he  wrote  out  the  account  of  the  awakening,  conversion,  and 
death  of  this  infidel,  but  from  some  cause  or  other  it  was 
never  sent,  and  consequently  never  published.  It  was 
entitled,  "The  power  of  the  Gospel  in  Texas,"  and  we 
give  it  to  our  readers  : 

"I  made  my  residence  in  the  beautiful  village  of 
Milam,  Sabine  county,  Texas,  where  there  had  been  re- 
cently formed  a  small  society  of  Methodists.  Here,  as 
well  as  all  around  the  San  Augustine  circuit,  I  found  the 
Church  in  a  feeble  and  lukewarm  condition,  and  so  it 
continued  till  the  first  of  May  last.  We  had  appointed  a 
two  days'  meeting  in  Milam,  and  prayed  much  and  earn- 
estly that  a  work  of  divine  grace  might  there  commence. 
The  time  came,  and  on  Saturday  the  congregation  was 
small,  and  a  death-like  stupor  and  coldness  seemed  to 
pervade  almost  every  heart. 

"There  lived,  adjoining  the  village,  a  Dr.  W ,  who 

was  said  to  be  a  very  wicked  man,  a  Universalist,  and  a 
great  enemy  to  the  Methodist  Church.  It  was  said,  too, 
that  he  had  a  very  worthy,  pious  wife,  who  desired  to  at- 
tend meeting  and  unite  with  the  Church;  but  it  was 
said  that  the  Doctor  would  not  permit  her  to  do  so. 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  503 

While  meeting  was  in  progress  on  Saturday,  the  Doctor 
was  at  the  tavern  across  the  way,  uttering  bitter  curses 
against  the  Methodists. 

"  The  Sabbath  came,  and  the  congregation  was  unusually 
large.  I  was(  preaching  on  the  doctrine  of  rewards  and 
punishments,  when  my  eye  fell  on  the  Doctor,  who  was 

;  seated  in  the  very  rear  of  the  congregation.  He  seemed 
much  excited ;  sometimes  his  face  would  redden,  and  then 
an  almost  deathly  paleness  would  pass  over  it.  He  seemed 

[  very  restless,  too,  and  kept  constantly  turning  on  his  seat. 
I  knew  not  whether  he  was  enraged  or  whether  conscience 

I  was  doing  its  office,  awakened  and  enlightened  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  I  thought,  however,  that  I  would  talk  fear- 
lessly and  plainly,  and  leave  the  result  with  God.  I  spoke, 
in  conclusion,  of  the  fearful  account  that  that  man  will 

!  have  to  render  on  the  day  of  judgment  who  keeps  his  wife 
and  children  away  from  the  house  of  God,  and  bids 
them  follow  him  in  the  way  to  hell.  An  appointment 
was  made  for  the  afternoon,  and  the  congregation  dis- 
missed. 

"As  I  was  returning  to  the  afternoon  service,  I  saw  the 
Doctor  standing  at  the  corner  of  the  court-house,  where 
the  meeting  was  held.  When  I  was  yet  a  few  rods 
distant,  he  started  out  to  meet  me.  I  had  heard  that  the 
Doctor  possessed  considerable  personal  courage,  and  that 
he  had  been  through  a  number  of  bowie-knife  and  pistol 
fights.  Whether  he  came  in  peace  or  came  armed  for  a 
deadly  encounter  I  knew  not,  nor  was  it  my  business  to 
know;  my  business  was  to  meet  him.  We  met,  when  he 
gave  his  trembling  hand,  and  said  in  accents  broken  with 
sighs  and  accompanied  with  tears,  '  Mr.  Poe,  I  wish  you 
to  open  the  door  of  the  Church  this  afternoon  for  my  wife 
to  join/  I  said,  *  Thank  you,  Doctor,  but  what  are  you 
going  to  do?  you  are  a  sinner,  and  must  have  religion,  or  be 
lost  eternally.'  He  answered,  '  I  feel  as  I  never  felt  in 


504  SKETCHES   OF 

all  my  life — is  there,  can  there  be  mercy  for  such  a 
wretched  sinner  as  I  have  been  ?'  I  told  them  that  there 
was  mercy,  free  and  full,  and  exhorted  him  to  look  to 
Jesus,  as  we  walked  together  into  the  congregation. 
After  an  excellent  sermon  was  preached  by  my  colleague, 
I  stated  that  I  was  requested  to  open  the  doors  of  the 
Church,  and  went  on  to  give  an  invitation.  The  Doctor's 
wife  immediately  came  forward,  together  with  a  number 
of  others.  I  then  invited  all  who  desired  to  seek  their 
soul's  salvation,  to  come  to  the  mourner's  bench.  The 
Doctor  and  many  others  came  trembling  and  weeping,  and 
kneeled  in  prayer. 

"A  glorious  revival  commenced  that  afternoon.  God's 
people  were  heard  shouting  for  joy,  and  sinners  were 
heard  weeping  and  crying  aloud  for  mercy.  The  meeting 
lasted  some  two  weeks,  during  which  time  many  sinners 
were  awakened  and  converted.  The  Doctor  came  forward 
at  every  invitation,  and  seemed  powerfully  awakened  and 
deeply  engaged,  and  yet  he  found  no  relief.  I  visited 
him  often,  and  talked  and  prayed  with  the  family.  He 
did  not  attempt  to  conceal  or  extenuate,  but  acknowledged 
that  he  had  been  the  greatest  of  sinners — that  he  had 
long  hindered  his  wife  from  going  to  meeting  and  joining 
the  Church — that  he  had  set  an  awful  example  before  his 
children.  Mercy  was  his  only  plea.  Sometimes  he  said, 
'I  am  just  entering  the  kingdom,  when  my  sins  rise  up 
and  shut  me  out.'  He  said  he  was  determined  to  seek 
on,  and  if  he  went  to  hell  he  would  go  a  praying  penitent. 
I  left  him  in  this  state  of  mind  about  the  first  of  July 
last,  well  satisfied  that  if  he  persevered,  his  dungeon 
would  yet  shake,  and  his  chains  fall  off,  and  his  soul  be 
set  at  liberty. 

"  I  received  a  letter  from  my  wife,  saying  that  the  Doctor 
was  very  sick  and  in  great  distress  of  mind — that  he  had 
sent  for  her  very  often  to  sing  and  pray  for  him.  I  have 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  505 

just  received  another  letter  from  my  wife,  saying  that  the 
Doctor  is  no  more. 

" 1 1  have  just  returned  from  the  funeral  of  Doctor 

W .  He  sent  for  me  both  by  night  and  day,  to  .sing 

and  pray  with  him,  and  about  two  days  before  his  death 
he  found  peace  and  died  very  happy.  Just  before  he  left 
the  world,  he  called  me  to  his  bedside  and  said,  "Tell 
brother  Poe,  of  all  the  men  I  ever  saw,  I  loved  him  the 
most ;  I  would  be  glad  to  have  him  now  about  my  dying 
bed,  but  that  can  not  be.  Tell  him  to  go  on  and  keep 
preaching  Jesus,  and  I  will  meet  him  in  heaven."  ' 

"  To  be  made  the  humble  instrument  in  the  hand  of 
the  blessed  Savior,  of  plucking  that  brand  from  eternal 
burnings,  more  than  compensates  for  all  the  sacrifices  we 
have  made,  in  leaving  our  native  land  and  friends  and 
But  that  is  not  all ;  the  revival  that  commenced  at 
that  meeting,  spread  all  around  the  circuit,  and  hundreds 
have  been  added  to  the  Church." 

After  his  return  to  Texas,  he  endeavored  to  commence 
an  institution  of  learning  at  San  Augustine.  The  ensuing 
conference  adopted  it  and  gave  it  their  patronage.  Dan- 
iel was  appointed  to  the  San  Augustine  circuit,  and  com- 
menced his  labors,  having  some  three  hundred  miles  to 
travel  in  filling  his  appointments  every  four  weeks.  After 
the  first  quarter,  the  teacher  of  mathematics,  in  their  new 
college,  resigned,  and  Daniel  undertook  to  supply  his 
place.  While  filling  this  post,  he  regularly  rode  into  the 
country  and  preached  on  Friday  night,  twice  on  Saturday, 
and  twice  on  Sabbath,  and  returned  so  as  to  attend  to  the 
recitations  of  his  classes  in  the  college,  from  Monday 
morning  to  the  next  Friday  afternoon. 

In  June,  1844,  his  wife  was  attacked  with  congestive 
fever,  but  in  a  few  days  she  seemed  to  be  convalescent, 
and  he  went  to  an  appointment  six  miles  from  San  Au- 
gustine the  first  Saturday  in  July,  to  hold  a  two  days' 

43 


506  SKETCHES    OF 

meeting.  The  congregation  met  in  a  grove,  and  he 
preached  to  them  on  Saturday,  at  11  o'clock,  from  Lam. 
iii,  48.  Dr.  Greir,  a  member  of  our  Church,  told  us 
that  he  wept  profusely  while  he  portrayed  the  desolations 
of  sin,  and  exhorted  the  sinner  to  come  to  Christ  for  sal- 
vation. When  he  closed  his  sermon,  he  gave  out  the 
first  two  lines  of  a  hymn,  and  stepping  down  from  the 
stand,  approaching  the  Doctor  with  his  hand  on  his  tem- 
ple, he  said,  "  Doctor,  I  feel  as  if  my  head  was  bursting." 
The  Doctor  perceiving  that  he  had  a  violent  fever,  as- 
sisted him  to  his  carriage,  and  took  him  to  his  house,  and 
by  prompt  attention,  through  the  afternoon  and  night,  he 
thought  him  better  next  morning,  and  took  him  home, 
On  Sabbath  afternoon  his  wife  was  taken  worse,  and  his 
two  eldest  children  were  violently  attacked  with  tha 
same  fever.  On  Tuesday  evening  the  Doctor  told  him 
his  wife  must  die.  About  the  same  time  Kev.  L.  Fowler, 
having  returned  from  New  York,  where  he  had  been  at- 
tending General  conference,  brought  him  a  letter  from 
his  brother,  and  spoke  to  him  of  the  probable  division  of 
the  Church.  He  read  his  letter,  and  laying  it  down  ex- 
claimed, "  O,  must  Methodism  be  rent  in  twain  !"  He 
was  unable  to  see  his  wife,  as  they  were  lying  in  separate 
rooms,  and  said  to  brother  Fowler,  "Tell  Jane  to  com- 
mend her  soul  and  her  children  to  God.  If  I  live  I'll  do 
the  best  I  can  for  them,  if  I  die  I  want  Adam  to  come 
and  get  them."  He  grew  rapidly  worse,  and  on  Wednes- 
day morning  he  was  told  that  he  too  must  die.  He  imme- 
diately commenced  giving  some  direction  about  his  busi- 
ness, requested  Rev.  Lester  Janes  to  write  to  his  brother, 
and  request  him  to  come  and  settle  his  business,  pay  all  his 
debts,  and  bring  his  children  to  Ohio.  In  the  midst  of 
these  efforts,  his  mind  wandered,  and  he  complained  of 
excruciating  pains  in  his  head  and  of  choking.  In  this 
condition  he  remained  till  morning,  when  brother  Fowler 


WKSTJCJtM    METHODISM.  507 

.-cturned  and  found  him  dying.     He  took  him   by  the 
fhand  and  said,  "Daniel,  you  are  going!"     He  answered, 
in  a  whisper,  "Yes!"     Brother  Fowler  asked,  "How  do 
4you  feel  ?"    He  replied,  "  Happy,  very,  very  happy !"  and 
•expired.     His  wife  had  conversed,  after  being  informed 
that  she  must  die,  with  brother  Fowlor  on  her  spiritual 
•prospects,  and  asked  him  to  pray  with  her;  and  while  he 
i prayed  she  was  powerfully  blessed.     She  then  had  her 
•  children  brought  to  her,  and  commending  them  to  God 
in  a  few  words  of  prayer,  gave  them  her  last  kiss,  and 
handed  them  to  friends  standing  around  her  bed,  saying, 
lt  Take  care  of  them  till  their  uncle  Adam  comes  for 
them."     She  knew  their  father  was  dying  too;  and  though 
she  was  one  of  the  most  affectionate  mothers  we  ever 
knew,  she  seemed  to  give  her  children  to  her  heavenly 
Father  without  a  single  distrustful  fear;    and  then  in 
bright  and  joyous  vision  of  her  home  so  near,  she  shouted 
glory  1  till  her  voice  sunk  to  a  whisper;  and  she  breathed 
out  her  happy  spirit  into  the  arms  of  the  Blessed,  who 
waited  to  bear  her  to  heaven.     They  died  within  forty 
minutes  of  each  other,  and  were  buried  in  one  coffin,  im- 
mediately in  rear  of  the  Methodist  church  in  San  Au- 
gustine.    "Lovely  and  pleasant  were  they  in  their  lives, 
and  in  their  death  they  were  not  divided." 

In  December,  1844,  his  brother,  Rev.  Adam  Poe, 
reached  that  place,  and  found  all  three  of  the  children  at 
different  places,  well  taken  care  of  by  good  friends,  in 
pretty  good  health,  having  nearly  recovered  from  their 
attacks  of  fever.  After  settling  the  business  matters, 
according  to  Daniel's  directions,  and  being  ready  to  start 
home,  he  took  the  children,  the  youngest  in  his  arms,  and 
the  others  walking  on  each  side  of  him,  to  the  grave  of 
the  parents,  to  take  a  last  look.  As  they  stood  by  the 
grave,  the  oldest,  a  little  girl  five  years  of  age,  sobbing  as 
if  her  heart  would  break,  said,  "0,  uncle,  can't  you 


508  SKETCHES    OF 

take  up  father  and  mother  and  take  them  with  us  to 
Ohio?"  Her  little  brother,  a  year  older,  answered,  "Su- 
san, don't  you  know  father  and  mother  will  be  as  near  to 
us  in  heaven,  after  we  get  to  Ohio,  as  they  are  now? 
They  will  not  forget  us ;  they  love  us  still,  I  know  they 
do."  The  little  one  in  his  arms  lisped,  "Yes,  I  know 
my  pa  and  ma  love  me  any  where." 

Thus  died,  and  were  buried  in  the  red  lands  of  Texas, 
as  noble  a  couple  as  ever  labored  and  suffered  in  the 
Methodist  itinerancy,  in  the  prime  of  life  and  the  midst 
of  their  years.  Both  of  these  devoted  missionaries  were 
very  highly  esteemed,  as  far  as  they  were  known,  iri 
Texas,  and  Daniel  was  as  widely  known  as  any  minister 
could  be,  in  the  length  of  time  that  he  was  there.  Of: 
his  talents,  as  a  minister,  much  might  be  said  to  hia 
credit.  He  laid  the  foundation  of  a  good  education  in 
his  youth,  under  the  direction  of  the  late  Dr.  Kuter,  who 
was  his  warm,  personal  friend.  He  was  a  diligent  and 
enthusiastic  student  through  life,  and  most  conscien- 
tiously did  he  observe  the  rule  of  a  minister,  which 
we  have  frequently  heard  him  quote  with  solemn  emphasis, 
"Never  be  unemployed,  never  be  triflingly  employed." 

He  was  in  person  almost  gigantic,  being  six  feet  three 
and  a  half  inches  high,  and  weighing  about  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty  pounds.  He  possessed  uncommon  ath- 
letic force  and  activity,  and  the  whole  energy  of  hi? 
powerful  body  and  mind  was  devoted  to  his  Master's 
work.  His  social  qualities  were  such  as  to  make  him 
a  favorite  in  every  circle  where  he  moved.  In  the 
wigwam  of  the  Indian,  and  in  the  cabin  of  the  Texan 
negro,  as  well  as  among  the  most  refined  in  the  higher 
walks  of  civilization,  every-where  he  was  beloved,  and 
Lis  ministry  was  crowned  with  many  trophies,  that  no 
doubt  will  shine  as  stars  with  him  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  forever. 


1  WKSTKKN    MKTHODI8M.  509 

Thus  lived,  and  thus  died  one  of  the  most  zealous  and 
indefatigable  young  preachers  we  ever  knew.  May  God 
raise  up  many  more  such  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  re- 
gions beyond ! 

43* 


510  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

THOMAS    DRUMMOND. 

THE  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Manchester, 
England,  in  the  year  1806,  and  came  to  America  with  his 
father's  family  in  1811.  His  father  sought  a  home  in 
the  west,  the  El  Dorado  of  the  emigrant,  whose  broad 
plains  and  rich  soil  invite  the  culture  of  the  industrious 
yeoman.  "When  quite  a  youth  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
service  of  the  Lord.  He  was  not  like  many  who  think 
it  quite  sufficient  for  all  the  purposes  of  salvation  to  give 
the  last  sad  remnants  of  their  miserable  lives  to  God. 

"  A  flower  when  offered  in  the  bud, 
Is  no  vain  sacrifice." 

How  precious  are  the  memorials  of  that  heart  whose 
early  affections  have  been  given  to  God  !  Truly,  as  saith 
the  inspired  one,  the  ways  of  Religion  "  are  ways  of  pleas- 
antness, and  all  her  paths  are  peace — she  is  a  tree  of  life 
to  them  that  lay  hold  upon  her,  and  happy  is  every  one 
that  retaineth  her."  In  the  twenty-third  year  of  his 
age — being  called  of  God — he  entered  upon  the  work  of 
the  ministry,  and  began  earnestly  and  eloquently  to  plead 
with  sinners  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  After  exercising 
his  gifts  as  a  local  preacher  for  the  space  of  a  year,  and 
giving  full  proof  of  his  call  by  the  fruits  which  attended 
his  labors,  he  was  recommended  for  admission  into  the 
traveling  connection,  and  accordingly  received  by  the 
Pittsburg  conference  in  the  year  1831. 

His  first  appointment  was  to  the  Summerfield  circuit, 
in  the  West  Wheeling  district,  with  the  Rev.  John  W. 


WK8TEBN    METHODISM.  511 

Minor.  The  next  field  of  labor  assigned  him  was  the  St. 
Clairsville  circuit,  where  he  continued  one  year;  and  at 
the  expiration  of  his  term  he  was  sent  to  Pittsburg,  with 
Dr.  Martin  Ruter  for  his  colleague.  The  appointment 
of  so  young  a  preacher  to  a  station  of  so  much  import- 
ance as  Pittsburg,  would  necessarily  lead  one  to  infer 
that  he  not  only  had  remarkable  gifts,  but  that  he  had 
made  astonishing  progress  in  ministerial  attainments,  and 
such  was  the  fact.  Some  preachers  at  first  give  but  little 
promise,  and  develop  slowly,  yet  in  the  end  become 
learned,  talented,  and  useful,  even  as  stars  in  the  right 
hand  of  Jesus,  to  shine  upon  the  Church  and  the  world. 
Others  at  once  seem  to  flash  over  the  horizon  of  life  as 
the  sun  when  he  crosses  the  threshold  of  the  ocean — 
first  a  circle  of  mellow  light,  and  then  a  full  burst  of 
glory;  but  whether  suns  or  stars,  both  have  their  ap- 
pointed spheres,  and  roll  on  fulfilling  their  high  and  holy 
destiny.  In  the  Church  of  the  apostles  there  was  a  Paul, 
an  Apollos,  and  a  Cephas;  and  the  diversity  of  talent  was 
made  to  subserve  the  most  important  purposes  in  the 
erection  of  the  spiritual  building. 

Drummond  had  rare  and  brilliant  talents;  and  though 
but  two  years  in  the  conference,  and  but  three  a  preacher, 
he  was  regarded  by  the  appointing  power  as  adequate  for 
so  important  a  post.  His  next  station  was  Morgantown, 
in  Virginia,  where  he  remained  one  year  with  great  ac- 
ceptability and  usefulness.  At  the  conference  which  was 
held  in  Washington,  in  July,  1834,  his  heart  was  touched 
with  the  wants  of  the  west;  and  filled  with  a  missionary 
zeal,  he  volunteered  for  Missouri,  and  was  stationed  in 
the  city  of  St.  Louis.  At  that  post  he  labored  hard,  ful- 
filling all  the  duties  of  a  preacher  and  pastor  up  to  June, 
1835,  embracing  a  period  little  short  of  a  year  from  the 
time  of  his  transfer.  On  the  Sabbath  before  his  decease, 
though  somewhat  indisposed,  he  labored  with  more  than 


512  SKETCHES    OF 

ordinary  fervor.  The  dead  and  the  dying  were  around 
him ;  for  that  dread  "  pestilence  which  walketh  in  dark- 
ness and  wasteth  at  noonday,"  was  spreading  death  and 
desolation  in  the  ill-fated  city.  To  prepare  his  hearera 
for  the  scourge,  and  to  converse  and  pray  with  those  who 
were  grappling  with  the  dread  monster,  taxed  all  his  ener- 
gies to  the  utmost.  Sabbath  evening  came ;  but,  alas  I 
the  foe  had  seized  the  soldier  of  the  cross  himself — he, 
was  attacked  with  cholera,  and  all  medical  skill  and 
attention  were  in  vain.  Monday  closed  the  scene  of 
conflict.  The  king  of  terrors  aimed  at  length  his  fatal 
dart,  and  smote  the  saint;  but  he  feared  not  the  blow. 
The  sting  was  extracted,  and  victory  over  death  and  hell 
was  gained  through  faith  in  Jesus'  blood.  Just  as  his 
spirit  was  passing,  he  said  to  his  weeping  friends  around 
him,  "  All  is  well !  Tell  my  brethren  of  the  Pittsburg  con- 
ference I  died  at  my  post." 

When  the  brethren  met  at  their  holy  convocation, 
which  was  shortly  after,  there  were  weeping  eyes  and 
sorrowful  hearts;  but  the  message  which  they  had  re- 
ceived from  the  dying  soldier  cheered  them  on  in  the 
battle  of  the  Lord.  One  of  their  number — one  of  Zion's 
sweetest  minstrels — touched  his  lyre,  and  it  sent  forth  a 
dirge  pleasant  but  mournful. 

"Away  from  his  home  and  the  friends  of  his  youth, 
He  hasted,  the  herald  of  mercy  and  truth ; 
For  the  love  of  his  Lord,  and  to  seek  for  the  lost ; 
Soon,  alas !  was  his  fall — hut  he  died  at  his  post. 

The  stranger's  eye  wept,  that,  ia  life's  brightest  bloom, 
One  gifted  so  highly  should  sink  to  the  tomh ; 
For  in  ardor  he  led  in  the  van  of  the  host, 
And  he  fell  like  a  soldier — he  died  at  his  post. 

He  wept  not  himself  that  his  warfare  was  done — 

The  battle  was  fought,  and  the  victory  won ; 

But  he  whispered  of  those  whom  his  heart  clung  to  most, 

'  Tell  my  brethren,  for  me,  that  I  died  at  my  post.' 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  513 

lie  asked  not  a  stone  to  be  sculptured  with  verse ; 
He  asked  not  that  fame  should  his  merits  rehearse ; 
But  he  asked  as  a  boon,  when  he  gave  up  the  ghost, 
That  his  brethren  might  know  that  he  died  at  his  post. 

Victorious  his  fall — for  he  rose  as  he  fell, 

With  Jesus,  his  Master,  in  glory  to  dwell ; 

He  has  passed  o'er  the  stream  and  has  reached  the  bright  coast, 

For  he  fell  like  a  martyr— he  died  at  his  post 

And  can  we  the  words  of  his  exit  forget? 

0 1  no,  they  are  fresh  in  our  memory  yet ; 

An  example  so  brilliant  shall  never  be  lost, 

We  will  fall  in  the  work — we  will  die  at  our  post" 

From  this  poet — the  Rev.  William  Hunter,  formerly 

|  editor  of  the  Pittsburg  Christian  Advocate,  and  author 

|  of  "Select  Melodies" — we  have  received  a  sketch  eni- 

i  bracing  some  personal  recollections  of  Drumrnond,  which 

we  subjoin: 

"Yours  of  the  17th  ult.  is  before  me,  asking  for  rec- 
|  ollcctions  of  Rev.  Thomas  Drummond.      I  had  no  per- 
i  sonal  acquaintance  with  brother  Drummond.      He  was 
my  senior  by  two  or  three  years  in  the  Pittsburg  confer- 
[  encc,  and  left  it  for  St.  Louis  at  the  close  of  my  first 
i  year  as  a  probationer.     I  never  saw  him  but  once ;  that 
j  was  at  the  conference  in  Washington,  Pennsylvania,  in 
1834.     He  came  up  to  me  before  the  conference  door — 
|  having  somehow  associated  my  face  and  name  together, 
[  as  I  had  his — and  said,  in  that  free  and  peculiar  manner 
[  which  was  characteristic  of  him,  while  he  seized  my 
I  hand,  '  How  are  you,  Hunter  ?      We  need  no  introduc- 
tion."    He  passed  into  the  church,  and  I  am  not  cer- 
I  tain  that  I  ever  saw  his  face  again.     I  left  the  seat  of 
the  conference,  perhaps,  that  day  or  the  next;  and  he 
was  transferred  to  Missouri,  where  he  shortly  afterward 
died.      From  that  conference  I  was  sent  to  Pittsburg, 
in  company  with  T.  M.  Hudson  and  M.  Simpson — now 
bishop.     Thomas  Drummond  had  been  there  with  Doctor 


514  SKETCHES    OF 

Ruter,  no*  the  preceding  year,  but  the  one  before  that. 
I  consequently  heard  much  of  him,  and  can  testify  to 
the  universal  esteem  in  which  he  was  held.  Some  of 
the  good  old  members  could  scarcely  cease  talking  about 
him.  I  can  not  at  this  date  call  up  particular  incidents 
related  to  me  concerning  him,  during  his  labors  in  Pitts- 
burg.  I  can  only  state  that  the  general  impression  made 
upon  my  mind  by  what  I  heard  was,  that  he  was  quite  a 
good  preacher;  studious  in  his  habits,  industrious  in  his 
pastoral  work,  and  an  exceedingly-agreeable  companion 
in  the  social  circle.  He  was  a  man  of  very  kind  feelings, 
although  somewhat  free  and  blunt  in  his  manners.  He  ] 
was  not  one  of  those  who  continually  wore  a  somber  coun- 
tenance, as  if  to  smile  was  a  sin,  or  a  little  pleasantry 
an  iniquity  to  be  punished  by  the  judges.  He  was  a 
cheerful,  vigorous,  energetic  man,  doing  his  duty  with  a 
good  will,  a  light  heart,  and  a  radiant  countenance  j  yet 
withal  a  man  who  entered  deeply  into  the  Borrows  of 
others,  visiting  the  sick  and  the  needy,  and  ministering 
both  to  their  temporal  and  spiritual  wants.  A  poor  wo- 
man, whom  he  had  visited  as  a  pastor,  died  happy  in  the 
Lord,  leaving  a  little  girl  with  no  provision  for  her  com- 
fort. Brother  Drummond  adopted  her  as  his  own — I 
believe  her  father  was  dead  also-^and  made  arrange- 
ments for  her  rearing  and  education ;  though  I  think 
that  from  the  pecuniary  burden  of  this  he  was  relieved 
by  the  liberality  of  the  late  Mrs.  Duinars,  of  Pittsburg, 
in  whose  bosom  beat  the  kindest  heart  of  woman,  and 
who  took  the  little  girl,  bringing  her  up  as  her  own.  The 
little  girl  used  to  call  herself  Mary  Ann  Cooper  Drum- 
mond Dumars.  She  became  a  member  of  the  Church, 
and  is  now  a  married  woman,  with  a  family  of  her  own, 
and  living  in  comfortable  circumstances.  This  incident 
will  illustrate  one  trait  in  brother  Drummond's  character—- 
his kindness  and  benevolence — the  trait  to  which,  per- 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  515 

lups,  he  fell  a  martyr  in  St.  Louis  during  the  cholera 
visitation  there. 

"Brother  Drummond  was  the  first  stationed  preacher  in 
the  station  which  I  now  occupy — Morgantown,  Virginia. 
The  parsonage  in  which  I  am  now  writing  was  built 
under  his  superintendence.  The  trees  in  the  yard  were 
planted  by  him,  from  which  succeeding  preachers,  since 
that  time,  have  eaten  fruit.  He  frequently  laid  off  his 
clerical  coat,  and  went  to  work  at  the  parsonage  himself; 
and  so  well  was  the  financial  part  of  the  business  man- 
aged, that  when  the  work  was  done  there  was  a  dollar 
over;  though  some  of  the  credit  of  this  is  also  due  to 
the  well-known  liberality  of  the  Church  here. 

"  Here,  as  in  Pittsburg,  I  have  often  heard  brother 
Drummond  spoken  of  in  terms  of  kind  remembrance. 
The  families  in  which  he  boarded,  especially,  have  a 
ligh  appreciation  of  his  worth.  He  was  able  in  the  pul- 
pit, faithful  in  pastoral  visitations,  diligent  in  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  children,  assembling  them  for  catechetical 
exercises.  He  by  no  means  confined  his  labors  to  the 
village;  but  had  several  appointments  in  the  country 
Tound  about,  some  of  them  as  many  as  nine  or  ten  miles 
out.  There  is  a  sweet  little  church  a  couple  of  miles 
out  of  town,  now  called  Drummond  Chapel,  in  memory 
of  the  fact  that  he  was,  perhaps,  the  first  who  established 
preaching  in  the  neighborhood.  The  only  week-day 
class  that  we  have  in  the  station  is  a  female  class,  met 
by  the  preacher,  composed  generally  of  the  older  ladies  of 
the  Church.  It  was  Drummond  who  formed  this  class, 
as  he  said,  for  his  own  especial  benefit.  There  are  some 
of  the  traces  left  by  him  in  this,  the  last  station  which 
lie  occupied  in  the  Pittsburg  conference.  I  am  not 
aware  that  there  was  any  great  revival  in  the  place  during 
his  labors ;  but  the  Church  was  in  a  healthy  and  prosper- 
ous condition.  I  am  told  that  he  studied  law,  and  passed 


516  SKETCHES    OF 

an  examination  on  it  while  here.  I  know  not  that  he 
intended  ever  to  practice.  It  is  more  probable  that  hia 
object  was  to  qualify  himself  better  for  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  by  increasing  his  knowledge  of  legal  science." 
How  many  burning  and  shining  lights  have  suddenly 
been  quenched  in  the  darkness  of  death !  How  melan* 
choly  the  remembrance  that  the  most  talented  and 
deeply-devoted  in  the  ranks  of  the  ministry  are  soonest 
called  away  from  the  walls  of  our  Zion,  while  we  are  left 
to  mourn  their  departure  !  May  we  imitate  their  virtues 
and  aspire  after  their  glorious  immortality ! 


WE8TEBN    METHODISM.  517 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

INDIAN     CAMP    MEETING. 

IN  the  year  1828,  a  short  time  after  we  left  the  Indian 
nation,  we  held  a  camp  meeting  at  Messick's  camp-ground, 
lot  far  from  Bellefontaine.  To  this  meeting  we  invited 
he  Indian  brethren  at  the  Wyandott  mission.  This 
nvitation  was  generally  acceded  to,  and  the  Indians  came 
srith  their  camping  apparatus,  to  the  number  of  one  hun- 
ired  and  fifty.  A  place  was  assigned  them  for  pitching 
heir  tents,  so  that  they  might  all  be  as  near  together  aa 
wssible.  We  have  called  this  the  "Indian  camp  nieet- 
ng,"  because,  as  the  sequel  will  show,  the  exercises  were 
mostly  confined  to  the  Indian  department  of  the  camp, 
and  the  Lord  seemed  to  have  selected  our  red  brethren  as 
he  instrumentality,  through  which  all  the  glorious  re- 
mits that  attended  it  were  achieved. 

The  Indians  being  more  expert  in  pitching  tents  than 
he  whites,  they,  of  course,  were  ready  at  an  earlier  hour' 
to  engage  in  religious  exercises.  It  is  characteristic  of 
the  Indian  to  devote  exclusive  attention,  for  the  time 
)eing,  to  whatever  pursuit  or  employment  he  may  take 
n  hand.  If  it  be  fishing,  or  hunting,  or  sugar  making, 
3r  corn  planting,  nothing  else  is  allowed  to  interfere  in 
the  time  allotted  to  these  things.  So  in  regard  to  re- 
igion.  The  time  devoted  to  God  was  the  most  sacred, 
ind  no  people  could  unite  with  greater  sincerity  than 
they  in  singing  those  appropriate  lines : 

"  Far  from  my  thoughts  vain  world  begone, 
Let  my  religions  hours  alone." 

44 


518  SKETCHES    OF 

Soon  the  Christian  chiefs,  and  queens,  and  all,  were 
formed  into  a  circle,  and  the  voice  of  praise  and  prayer 
made  the  forest  arches  ring.  After  singing  one  of  their 
Christian  songs,  only  as  Indians  can  sing,  they  fell  si- 
multaneously upon  their  knees  and  lifted  up  their  faces 
toward  heaven,  as  if  they  expected  to  see  the  Great  Spirit 
descend  in  blessings  from  the  parted  skies.  One  of  their 
number  would  lead  in  prayer,  and  when  the  Indian  words, 
"  tamentare,"  and^"  ffomendezue,"  would  escape  the  sup- 
pliant's lips,  a  deep  amen  would  be  uttered  in  concert  by 
all  the  circle. 

The  Indian  has  strong  faith,  and  when  he  makes  prepa- 
ration for  a  sacrifice  to  the  Great  Spirit,  he  expects  with 
the  utmost  confidence  that  it  will  be  accepted.  So  was  it 
in  this  instance;  for  while  they  were  praying  the  Spirit 
came  down  upon  them,  and  the  power  of  God  was  mani- 
fested in  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  souls.  As  the 
shaking  of  the  leaves  in  the  tops  of  the  mulberry  trees 
was  an  indication  to  the  prophet  of  the  presence  of  God. 
so  the  excitement  of  the  multitude  engaged  in  prayer,  as 
indicated  by  the  tears,  and  groans,  and  shouts,  was  a  sign 
that  the  Great  Spirit  was  at  work  upon  the  hearts  of 
these  sons  and  daughters  of  the  forest,  and  presently  the 
tents  of  the  whites  were  forsaken,  and  many  might  have 
been  seen  mingling  with  their  red  brethren  and  sisters 
in  the  exercises  of  the  hour.  From  this  hour,  though  so 
early  in  the  meeting,  the  work  of  the  Lord  began,  and 
the  interest  continued  to  increase  and  spread  as  the 
meeting  progressed,  till  Saturday  night,  when  the  whole 
encampment  was  in  a  flame  of  religious  excitement. 
There  seemed  to  be  no  need  of  preaching  or  exhortation, 
the  Lord  having  taken  his  own  work  into  his  own 
hands.  All  that  the  preachers  and  people  had  to  do  was 
to  follow  the  leadings  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  hours  passed 
away  in  singing  and  prayer,  interrupted  only — if,  indeed, 


WE6TKKN    METHODISM.  519 

it  may  be  called  an  interruption — by  the  loud  cries  for 
.  mercy,  which  rose  from  the  burdened  hearts  of  the  kneel- 
ing penitents,  or  the  louder  shouts  of  praise  to  God  for 
delivering  grace,  which  rose  up  on  the  night  air  and  re- 
echoed among  the  trees  from  the  converted.  The  holy 
>  scenes  and  hallowed  associations  of  that  night  of  prayer 
among  the  Indians,  will  never  be  erased  from  our  memory; 
and  though  many  of  our  precious  red  brethren  and  sis- 
ters, who  made  that  grove  resound  with  their  voices,  have 
long  since  gone  to  join  the  innumerable  company  before 
the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  yet  we  shall  cherish 
the  recollection  of  that  hour  till  we  too  shall  be  sum- 
moned to  the  marriage  feast  above. 

Sabbath  morning  came.     It  was  one  of  those  beautiful 

Sabbaths  of  an  Indian  summer,  which,  by  its  soft  and 

balmy  nature,  reminds  one  of  the  rest  and  blessedness  of 

heaven.     Not  many  miles  from   the  camp-ground  there 

:  lived  an  ungodly  man,  whose  wife,  though  not  a  professor 

of  religion,  having  heard  of  the  meeting,  was  desirous  to 

i  attend.     She  had  never  been  to  a  camp  meeting  before, 

and   her  desire  to  attend,  like  that  which  actuates  too 

many  others,  was  simply  to  gratify  her  curiosity.     It  was 

,  with  some  considerable  difficulty  that  she  could  get  her 

i  husband's  consent,  for  even  backwoods  wives  in  that  day 

i  were  accustomed  to  look  up  to  their  husbands  for  advice. 

';  She  finally  succeeded,  however,  as  women  generally  do 

!|  when  they  take  the  right  course,  in  overcoming  her  hus- 

!  baud's  opposition.     He  agreed  to  stay  home  and  mind 

i  the  children  while  she  would  be  absent,  but  commanded 

;  her  to  come  home  by  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  on  paiu 

t  of  getting  a  whipping.     The  poor  woman,  with  the  brutal 

i  threat  resting  over  her  head,  arrived  upon  the  ground  at 

i  an  early  hour.     Scarcely  had  she  got  within  the  circle  of 

tents  and  taken  her  seat  in  the  congregation,  till  she 

began  to  feel  sad   at   heart.     A  wonderful   power   had 


SKETCHES    OF 

taken  hold  of  her  mind.  Her  thoughts  were  carried  back 
to  the  days  of  her  youth;  her  early  religious  thoughts  were 
awakened ;  tears  began  to  flow,  as  her  children  and  hus- 
band passed  rapidly  but  vividly  before  her;  her  sins  rose 
up  in  frightful,  hideous  forms  to  her  excited  imagination 
and  conscience ;  and  tears  and  sobs  gave  place  to  groans 
and  cries  for  mercy.  She  soon  became  an  object  of  at- 
tention, and  prayers  from  many  a  sympathizing  heart 
went  up  to  God  in  her  behalf.  She  had  already  remained 
beyond  the  time  allotted  her  by  her  husband,  but  her 
heart  was  too  much  burdened  to  think  of  returning. 
She  could  bear  reproach,  and  scorn,  and  scourging,  but  a 
wounded  conscience  was  insupportable.  Through  the 
entire  day  she  continued  to  plead  for  mercy,  and  when 
the  shades  of  night  were  gathering  around,  and  forest 
and  tent  were  lighted  up  with  the  watch-fires,  and  the 
voices  of  praise  and  prayer  were  swelling  out  in  anthems 
and  supplications  to  the  God  of  heaven,  she  embraced 
the  cross  with  all  the  fervor  of  her  soul,  and  her  burden, 
like  that  of  Christian's  in  Bunyan's  Pilgrim,  rolled  away 
from  her  and  was  lost  in  the  tomb  of  forgetful  ness.  It 
was  then  that  she  passed  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from 
the  bondage  of  Satan  to  the  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God. 

That  night  was  spent  in  rejoicing,  and  when  the 
morning  came,  with  a  glad  heart  and  free,  she  started 
home  to  meet  her  enraged  and  cruel  husband.  She  was 
always  amiable,  but  she  met  him  that  morning  with  a 
smile  and  a  sweetness  that  only  grace  can  spread  over  the 
features.  With  meekness  and  humility  she  told  him  of 
the  cause  of  her  detention,  and  concluded  by  a  simple 
narration  of  what  God  had  done  for  her  soul.  This, 
however,  as  is  usually  the  case,  only  enraged  him  the 
more,  and  taking  his  wagon  whip  he  beat  her  most  se- 
verely. This  she  could  have  borne  without  religion,  for 


WESTERN    MKT1IODISM.  521 

it  was  nothing  when  compared  with  the  lashes  of  a  guilty 
conscience ;  but  now  that  her  soul  was  full  of  the  love  of 
God,  with  a  martyr  spirit  she  could  have  borne  the  tor- 
ture or  the  stake,  in  the  name  and  for  the  sake  of  Jesus. 
From  that  hour  the  iron  entered  his  soul  only  to  be 
extracted  by  an  omnipotent  Hand.  He  raged  like  a 
maniac,  and  swore  that  he  would  take  vengeance  in  firing 
the  encampment  that  night. 

Night  came,  and  this  inhuman  fiend  started  out  under 
its  cover  to  execute  his  fearful  threat.  When  he  arrived 
upon  the  ground  the  Indian  brethren  were  engaged  in  a 
most  glorious  work.  The  groans  of  the  penitent,  and  the 
shouts  of  praise  of  the  converted,  were  mingled  together, 
and  the  sound  of  the  many  voices  was  like  the  roar  of  the 
distant  sea.  While  this  sound  waked  the  songs  of  heaven, 
it  was  a  " dreadful  sound"  to  that  ungodly  man,  and  car- 
ried, like  the  sound  in  the  Assyrian  camp,  terror  to  his 
heart.  He  drew  near.  There  was  terror  in  his  face  and 
wildness  in  his  eye  as  the  watch-fire  gleamed  upon  him, 
but  his  heart  had  lost  its  courage,  and  his  arm  its  nerve. 
As  he  gazed  upon  the  scene,  like  Belshazzar,  in  the 
court  of  Babylon,  in  sight  of  the  mysterious  characters 
of  fire,  which  blazed  out  upon  him,  his  knees  trembled, 
his  heart  quaked,  and  he  fell  prostrate  upon  the  ground, 
crying  for  mercy.  He  was  picked  up  by  an  athletic  In- 
dian, who  fully  understood  the  nature  of  his  condition, 
and  carried  him  into  the  circle.  No  sooner  was  the 
sturdy  Saul  prostrate  before  the  Indians,  than  a  volley  of 
prayer  went  up  in  his  behalf  that  almost  rent  the  heav- 
ens. He  was  a  prisoner,  captured  by  one  of  the  scouts 
of  Immanuel's  army,  but  he  was  wounded  and  dying. 
His  captor  bent  down  closely  with  his  ear,  to  listen  to  his 
dying  groans,  and  would  say  to  him  in  Indian,  "by 
and  by." 

There  lay  the  prostrate  sinner  pleading  for  mercy. 
44* 


522  SKETCHES    OF 

The  Indians  stood  by  him,  and  sang  and  prayed  till  long 
past  the  noon  of  night.  It  was  a  desperate  struggle,  and 
seemed  doubtful  whether  there  was  mercy  for  such  a  bold 
blasphemer  and  cruel  persecutor.  But  just  before  day, 
when  the  stars  began  to  fade  in  the  light  of  the  gray 
streaks  of  morning,  God's  mercy  came,  the  long  agony 
was  over,  and  the  blasphemer  and  persecutor  was  changed 
into  a  child  of  God ;  the  heir  of  hell  was  made  an  heir 
of  heaven.  To  the  astonishment  of  all,  after  his  first 
bursts  of  praise  were  over,  he  related  his  cruel  conduct  to 
his  wife,  and  his  intention,  as  a  matter  of  revenge,  of 
setting  the  encampment  on  fire.  Some  one  present  inter- 
preted his  confession  and  experience  to  the  Indians. 
When  he  was  through,  the  noble-hearted  Mononcue 
stepped  up  to  him,  and  taking  him  by  the  hand  said, 
"Now,  my  white  brother,  God  converted  your  wife,  and 
you  whipped  her  for  it,  and  God  has  converted  you.  Go 
home  and  tell  her  what  God  has  done  for  your  soul,  and 
let  her  take  the  same  whip,  if  she  desires  so  to  do,  and 
whip  you  in  return.  It  is  good  that  God  has  converted 
you  both.  Go  in  peace,  and  sin  no  more."  This  couple 
will  never  forget  the  Indian  camp  meeting. 

But  these  are  not  all  the  incidents  connected  with  this 
camp  meeting;  there  were  others  still  more  interesting 
and  thrilling,  the  relation  of  which,  however,  would  oo- 
oupy  too  much  space  for  this  chapter,  and  we  shall  reserve 
them  for  the  next. 


WESTERN    METHODISM. 

ft***  '»»   ;.-:*.;  bsl  .-i 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

CONVERSION    OF    AN    INSPECTOR  -  QE  NERAL. 

AT  the  Indian  camp  meeting,  accompanied  by  her 
children,  was  a  lady  who  claimed  kindred  with  the  na- 
tives of  the  forest,  from  the  fact  that,  although  her 
father  and  husband  were  white,  yet  her  mother  was  a 
native  of  one  of  the  Indian  tribes.  She  was  a  most 
worthy,  consistent,  and  zealous  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  had  pitched  her  tent  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  meeting.  She  possessed  much  of  the 
true  Indian  character  of  integrity  and  perseverance, 
conjoined  with  a  large  share  of  gentleness  and  benevo- 
lence. Her  fidelity  and  devotion  as  a  wife  and  mother, 
beautifully  assorted  with  the  entire  consecration  of  her 
heart  to  God.  In  all  the  religious  exercises  she  took  an 
active  part,  and  her  labors  and  example  were  particularly 
beneficial  to  her  Indian  sisters  in  the  Lord. 

Let  us  now  call  your  attention  to  the  husband  of  this 
devoted  woman.  Though  wicked,  unlike  the  case  de- 
scribed in  the  foregoing  chapter,  he  was  not  opposed  to 
his  wife  on  account  of  her  religion;  but  rather  assisted 
than  prevented  her  in  the  discharge  of  her  religious 
duties.  He  had  been  a  major  in  the  militia;  but  on 
account  of  his  military  skill  was  promoted  to  the  office 
of  an  Inspector-General.  We  have  already  seen  that  he 
did  not  accompany  his  wife  to  camp  meeting,  the  reason 
of  which  was,  that  at  the  time  he  was  out  on  a  tour  of 
duty,  inspecting  the  various  regiments  and  companies. 
As  a  military  man  none  was  more  popular;  and  hia 


524:  SKETCHES    OF 

social,  if  not  jovial  disposition,  led  him  to  seek  kindred 
society,  and  occasionally  to  partake  of  the  festive  cup, 
and  enjoy  a  game  of  whist.  These  indulgences,  how- 
ever, as  we  have  already  hinted,  were  mere  episodes  in 
his  otherwise  temperate  and  sober  life.  Would  that  it 
were  the  case  with  all ;  but,  alas !  how  few  know  where, 
or  have  the  power  to  stop  with  only  an  occasional  indul- 
gence in  drinking  and  gaming !  He  had  a  respect  for 
religious  institutions,  and  would  regularly  attend,  with 
his  wife,  at  the  log  church.  When  Saturday  evening 
arrived  the  General  directed  his  course  toward  the  camp- 
ground, where  he  arrived  dressed  in  full  military  cos- 
tume. 

But  we  will  leave  him  for  a  while  in  the  religious 
marquee,  enjoying  the  society  of  his  family,  and  call 
your  attention  to  a  short  history  of  his  wife's  family 
connections.  Her  father,  Ebenezer  Zane,  in  an  early 
day,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians,  and  from  his 
home,  near  Wheeling,  Virginia,  was  removed  to  the 
west,  where  he  was  adopted  by  the  Wyandott  tribe,  and 
raised  to  follow  all  the  pursuits  of  an  Indian  life.  A 
dark-eyed,  blooming  Indian  maid  won  his  youthful  affec- 
tions— not  by  any  of  those  arts  of  fashionable  life,  by 
which  too  many  are  decoyed  in  what  are  called  the  cir- 
cles of  refinement,  but  by  a  native  gentleness,  simplicity, 
and  beauty,  which  needs  not  foreign  adornment  and  art 
to  captivate.  Suffice  it  to  say,  the  two  young  and  unso- 
phisticated hearts  were  united ;  and  as  the  result  of  this 
union,  and  as  pledges  of  its  continued  purity  and  genu- 
ineness, they  were  blessed  with  three  sons  and  four 
daughters.  We  have  not  space  to  dwell  upon  their  his- 
tory, only  to  say  that  all  their  daughters,  in  process  of 
time,  married  white  men.  Their  names  were  Reed, 
M'Culloch,  and  Armstrong — the  youngest,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  was  married  to  General  Long.  Two  of  the 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  525 

sons — Ebenezer,  junior,  and  William — married  Indian 
women,  and  the  third — Isaac — married  a  white  woman. 
This  whole  family  were  related  to  the  Zanes  at  Wheeling, 
of  whom  there  are  some  of  the  descendants  still  living. 
The  Indian  branch  of  this  family  were  noted  for  sobriety, 
honesty,  and  respectability.  They  resided  on  Mad  river, 
where  a  section  of  land  was  granted  to  them  by  the  Gov- 
ernment. The  family  of  which  Mrs.  Long  was  a  mem- 
ber were  all  religiously  inclined.  It  was  at  the  house  of 
the  younger  Ebenezer  Zane  that  the  first  quarterly  meet- 
ing was  held  in  the  Wyandott  nation.  Isaac  was  con- 
verted, and  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
continued  till  his  death  to  exemplify,  by  his  consistent 
deportment,  the  Christian  profession.  We  have  often 
heard  him,  in  his  broken  Indian  dialect,  tell  in  love-feast 
and  class  meeting  the  wonders  of  redeeming  grace  and 
dying  love.  None  could  listen  to  the  simple  and  touch- 
ing recital  of  his  conversion  without  being  deeply 
affected,  and  realizing  of  a  truth  that  he  was  a  child  of 
God. 

M'Culloch,  a  brother-in-law,  was  a  faithful  and  devoted 
Christian,  and  died  in  the  triumphs  of  the  Gospel.  He 
left  two  sons,  who  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  their  par- 
ents. The  elder  son,  Noah,  yet  lives  to  serve  God  and 
the  Church.  The  younger  became  a  reputable  Baptist 
preacher.  Sarah  Zane  married  Robert  Armstrong,  who 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians  when  a  boy,  and 
reared  among  the  tribe.  They  had  four  children,  two 
sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  were  sent  to  the 
mission  school,  at  Upper  Sandusky,  when  we  had  charge 
of  the  same.  Hannah,  one  of  the  daughters,  was  con- 
verted while  a  member  of  the  school.  She  was  one  of 
the  most  lovely  and  amiable  children  we  ever  knew ;  but, 
alas  !  death,  who  loves  a  shining  mark,  aimed  his  fatal 
javelin,  and  the  idol  of  her  parents  and  our  school  was 


526  SKETCHES    OF 

smitten.     She  was  just  budding  into  •womanhood  when  : 
arrested  by  disease.     Day  after  day  we  saw  the  bright  r 
and  beauteous  flower  fade  before  us,  and  we  knew  she 
must  die.     Just  before  her  death  her  weeping  and  dis- ; 
consolate  father  bent  over  her  couch,  and,  placing  her 
arm  around  his  neck,  she  said,  "Dear  father,  do   not; 
weep  for  me,  I  am  going  to  God  and  heaven.     Angels 
are  waiting  to  take  me  home.     You  and  mother,  and 
brother  and  sisters  will  soon  come  after  me,  and  then  we 
shall  all  be  happy  forever.     Farewell,  dear  father  and  - 
mother!     My  Savior  smiles,  and  bids  me  come."     Then, 
with  the  sound  of  glory  on  her  tongue,  her  sainted  spirit 
passed  away  to  the  land  of  the  blest.     That  little  Indian 
girl  would  not  have  died  had  beauty  and  gentleness  been 
a  security  against  the  shafts  of  death.     But,  as  the  little 
prophet  said,  the  father  and  mother,  and  the  younger 
son,  John  M'Intire,  have  gone  to  join  her  in  heaven. 

But  we  must  now  return  to  the  camp  meeting.  On 
Sabbath  morning  General  Long  was  seen,  in  full  military 
dress,  in  the  congregation,  and  excited  the  attention  of 
all,  but  more  particularly  his  Indian  friends.  He  was  an 
attentive  observer  of  all  that  transpired,  and  listened 
eagerly  to  all  that  was  said.  Those  who  knew  him  best 
saw,  from  his  clouded  brow,  and  his  attempts  to  rally  his 
spirits,  that  there  was  something  pressing  heavily  upon 
his  otherwise  joyous  and  happy  mind,  and  they  were  not 
much  at  a  loss  in  conjecturing  the  cause.  The  Spirit  of 
God  was  evidently  at  work  in  his  heart.  His  affectionate 
wife  and  Indian  friends  were  constant  and  earnest  in  pour- 
ing out  their  supplications  in  his  behalf.  His  convictions 
increased,  notwithstanding  all  his  efforts  to  shake  them 
off;  and  when  Monday  morning  came,  he  was  glad  to 
avail  himself  of  the  opportunity  his  duties  afforded  in 
leaving  for  the  muster-field,  where  companies  awaited 
his  inspection.  He  accordingly  mounted  his  horse,  and 


WE8TEBN    METHODISM.  527 

started;  but  his  Christian  friends  did  not  give  him 
up.  They  knew  full  well  that  God  was  at  work  upon 
his  heart,  and  their  anxieties  were  increased  in  the  con- 
viction that  a  crisis  had  arrived  in  his  history  which 
would,  in  all  probability,  decide  his  destiny  forever.  One 
has  said, 

"There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men, 
Which  taken  at  the  flood  leads  on  to  fortune." 

Especially  is  this  true  in  regard  to  religion.  There  is  a 
period  in  the  history  of  every  man,  when  it  may  be  said 
of  him  individually,  as  it  was  said  by  the  Savior  to  the 
scribe,  on  a  certain  occasion,  "  Thou  art  not  far  from  the 
kingdom  of  heaven."  When  the  tide  of  Divine  influ- 
ence is  up,  and  waves  of  mercy  are  gathering  around, 
then  the  soul  may  start  out  upon  that  flood  for  heaven ; 
but  if  this  influence  is  resisted,  the  receding  waves  will 
bear  away  hope  and  happiness — it  may  be  forever. 

The  General  had  not  proceeded  more  than  two  miles 
on  his  journey  till  his  feelings  became  almost  insupporta- 
ble. He  was  alone,  and  there  being  nothing  to  divert 
his  mind,  he  was  shut  up  to  himself,  and  a  horror  of 
darkness  came  upon  him.  To  go  farther  he  felt  it  would 
be  impossible.  The  cords  of  an  irresistible  influence 
seemed  to  be  drawing  him  back,  and  having  reached 
their  utmost  tension  he  must  yield  or  break  that  influ- 
ence forever.  He  turned  his  horse  in  the  direction  of 
the  camp-ground,  and  rode  rapidly  back.  When  he 
arrived  the  congregation  were  assembled  for  the  purpose 
of  partaking  of  the  holy  communion.  The  elements  of 
bread  and  wine  had  been  consecrated  by  holy  hands  and 
prayer,  and  the  pastor  was  inviting  the  flock  to  come  for- 
ward to  the  rude  altar,  and  participate  in  the  eucharistic 
feast,  which  every  want  supplies.  He  stood  and  gazed 
upon  the  scene.  He  saw  his  beloved  wife  advance  and 
kneel  with  the  whites  and  Indians  that  crowded  to  their 


528  SKETCHES   OF 

places ;  and  as  the  minister  said,  "  He  that  confesseth 
Jesus  before  men,  shall  be  acknowledged  by  him  in 
heaven;  while  he  that  denieth  him  shall  also  be  denied 
at  the  judgment  of  the  great  day,"  he  felt  that  he  had 
neither  part  nor  lot  in  the  matter,  and  that  he  must  for- 
ever be  separated  from  his  dear  wife  and  the  society  of 
all  the  good,  and  the  scene  and  associations  so  affected 
him  that  he  wept  aloud.  After  the  sacrament  was  ended 
the  presiding  elder  addressed  the  congregation,  touch- 
ingly  alluding  to  the  scenes  of  Gethsemane  and  Calvary, 
which  had  been  presented  before  them  in  the  passion 
and  death  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  concluded  by  inviting 
all  such  as  were  desirous  of  fleeing  the  wrath  to  come, 
and  of  being  saved  from  their  sins,  to  come  forward,  and 
kneel  at  the  altar  and  pray  for  pardon.  Scarcely  had  he 
ceased  till  anxious  souls  in  large  numbers  pressed  to  the 
mercy-seat.  The  General  was  standing,  in  full  military 
costume,  at  rest,  with  one  hand  upon  the  stake  that  sup- 
ported the  altar-railing.  His  feelings  were  wrought  up 
to  the  highest  point  of  excitement,  and  unable  any  longer 
to  restrain  his  emotion,  which  was  raging  with  earthquake 
violence  within  his  soul,  he  exclaimed,  with  a  loud  but 
tremulous  voice,  "  Quarters !  quarters  I  My  God,  quar- 
ters I  I  yield ;"  and  then  fell  his  whole  length  upon  the 
ground.  He  was  soon  surrounded  by  the  godly,  and 
borne  into  the  altar.  The  excitement  produced  by  this 
demonstration,  among  the  whites  and  Indians,  was  tre- 
mendous ;  and  when  they  all  fell  upon  their  knees  there 
went  up  such  a  storm  of  prayer  as  rent  the  very  heavens. 
The  General  wept,  and  groaned,  and  prayed  for  the  space 
of  two  hours,  with  a  fervency  that  few  ever  prayed  be- 
fore. He  was  a  shrewd,  intelligent  Yankee — a  descend- 
ant of  the  Puritans — and  many  were  astonished  at  the 
appropriateness  of  his  language  in  supplicating  mercy. 
But  see  !  he  ceases  to  pray,  and  quick  as  spark  from 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  529 

•mitten  steel,  the  blessing  descends  !  Hark  !  A  shout, 
F'Glory,  glory!"  in  loud,  full  bursts,  escapes  from  his 
lips.  "Where  am  I?"  said  the  converted  man.  "I 
Lever  saw  so  beautiful  a  place  in  all  my  life  before."  In 
an  instant  his  wife,  who  alone  had  been  pouring  out  her 
[heart  to  God  in  her  husband's  behalf,  was  at  his  side, 
reraising  God  for  redeeming  grace.  They  embraced  with 
Ian  affection  they  never  knew  before;  for  they  were  now 
wne  in  Jesus.  His  Indian  and  white  friends  turned  their 
(prayers  into  praises,  and  united  with  the  angelic  throng, 

"  Whose  hymns  of  joy  proclaimed  through  heaven 
The  triumphs  of  a  soul  forgiven." 

He  was  greeted  by  the  warin-hearted  chief,  Mononcue, 
who  embraced  him,  and  said,  in  broken  English,  "  My 
brother,  you  must  now  fight  for  King  Jesus."  After  his 

joy  had  somewhat  subsided  he  found  Judge lying 

in  the  altar,  upon  his  face,  weeping.  'Approaching  him 
be  said,  "  Judge,  is  this  you  ?  Get  up  and  pray  with  all 
your  might ;  you  will  never  obtain  the  blessing  of  pardon 
lying  there.  Get  up  and  pray  with  all  your  heart,  and 
God  will  bless  you." 

The  next  day  the  General  started  for  the  muster-field 
The  officers  had  heard  that  he  was  converted,  and  had 
joined  the  Church.  Many  of  them  were  not  a  little  an- 
noyed at  the  intelligence ;  and  though  they  no  doubt 
secretly  felt  that  he  had  done  right,  and  wished  them- 
selves in  his  condition,  yet  they  resolved  to  put  his  relig- 
ious fit,  as  they  called  it,  to  an  end,  at  least  to  test  the 
genuineness  and  strength  of  his  profession.  They  had 
to  this  end  prepared  a  fine  dinner,  with  the  accompani- 
ments of  wine,  music,  and  cards.  When  the  time  for 
recess  came  he  was  ushered  into  a  room  decorated  with 
national  flags,  evergreens,  and  flowers,  where  a  sumptuous 
dinner  was  spread.  Scarcely  had  he  taken  his  seat  before 
an  officer — for  whom  the  General  had  a  great  regard — 
45 


530  SKETCHES    OF 

approached  him  with  a  flowing  glass,  which  he  presented, 
saying,  "  My  dear  General,  you  must  be  greatly  fatigued 
with  the  arduous  duties  of  the  dayj  take  a  little  wine,  it 
will  strengthen  you."     "No,  my  dear  Colonel,"  said  he, 
"not  one  drop  shall  pass  my  lips."     By  this  time  the 
eyes  of  all  the  officers  were  turned  in  that  direction.     It 
was  the  first  trial,  but  nobly  he  met  it.     liaising  his 
voice  he  said,  "  Fellow-officers  and  gentlemen,  yesterday 
God,  for  Christ's  sake,  pardoned  my  sins,  and  I  have 
sworn  allegiance  to  the  King  of  heaven.     By  this  oath  I 
will  live,  and  by  it  I  will  die ;  and  now  let  me  say,  in  all  I 
kindness,  unless  you  repent  of  your  wickedness  you  must  j 
perish  in  your  sins ;  and  here  I  most  cordially  invite  you  J 
all  to  go  with  me  this  evening  to  the  camp  meeting,  that  I 
there  you  may  seek  religion."     Then,  espying  a  pack  of 
cards  on  an  adjoining  table,  he  added,  "Nor  will  I  over- 
throw another  card,  by  the  grace  of  God,  as  long  as  I 
live."     These   announcements,   though   by  some  antici- 
pated, yet  to  others  were  like  claps  of  thunder  in  a  clear 
sky. 

That  dinner  was  eaten  in  silence,  and  not  a  drop  of 
wine  was  drank  or  a  card  shuffled,  and  the  hour  passed 
away  in  peace  and  quietness.  The  General  lived  many 
years  a  consistent  and  devoted  member  of  the  Church, 
adorning  the  doctrines  of  God,  his  Savior  j  and  as  a  sol- 
dier of  the  cross,  when  he  came  to  die,  he  was  enabled 
to  say,  "I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my 
course;  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of 
righteousness,  which  God,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give 
me." 

Many  were  the  converts  at  that  camp  meeting,  and  the 
day  of  eternity  will  show,  that  of  the  whites  and  Indians 
who  there  embraced  religion,  the  work  was  as  genuine 
and  lasting  as  that  which  characterized  the  conversion 
of  Gcnnral  Long.  \ 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  531 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

PIONEER     WOMEN. 

HISTORIANS  may  write  of  the  brave  and  patriotic  women 
of  ancient  times,  of  the  mother  of  the  Gracchi,  and  the 
mother  of  Napoleon,  and  Washington,  and  the  more  re- 
cent patriotic  deeds  of  our  Revolutionary  mothers,  who 
freely  gave  up  their  sons  to  fight  the  battles  of  liberty, 
and  sacrificed  every  thing  but  their  more  than  Roman 
virtue,  in  supporting  our  heroic  fathers  in  the  conflict  for 
freedom;  be  it  our  pleasing  task  to  record  some  of  the 
achievements  of  our  pioneer  mothers  in  the  west,  whose 
zeal,  and  courage,  and  self-sacrificing  cfevotion,  afford 
specimens  of  a  moral  sublimity  greater  than  was  ever 
witnessed  in  the  heroism  of  the  patriot  mothers  of  olden 
time. 

When  the  Rev.  Bonnet  Maxey  traveled  as  a  missionary 
in  Georgia,  about  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  the 
following  incident  occurred,  which  he  related  to  me  with 
iris  own  lips.  It  will  be  recollected  that  nearly  all  that 
country  was  a  wilderness,  inhabited  by  savage  Indians. 
There  were  but  few  Methodist  societies,  and  they  were 
widely  separated.  The  missionary,  in  his  long  and  peril- 
ous journeys,  could  only  reach  them  occasionally,  and  in 
doing  so  would  have  to  encounter  almost  as  much  toil 
and  hardship  as  the  emigrant  now  does  in  crossing  the 
plains  to  California.  Even  then,  with  all  his  zeal  and 
perseverance,  there  were  some  settlements  that  could  not 
be  reached  without  a  reinforcement  of  missionary  laborers. 
In  one  of  these  settlements,  six  miles  distant  from  each 


532  SKETCHES    OF 

other,  there  lived  two  pious  women,  who  had  emigrated 
to  the  country  from  the  state  of  Maryland,  where  they 
had  been  converted  and  joined  the  Methodist  Church. 
They  felt  the  loss  of  the  ministrations  of  the  Gospel.  No, 
Sabbath  brought  with  it  its  holy  scenes  and  sanctuary 
privileges.  The  time  of  the  people  seemed  to  be  occu- 
pied, on  Sabbaths,  in  the  sports  of  the  chase,  or  in  idle 
and  frivolous  amusements.  While,  however,  the  neigh- 
bors were  engaged  in  the  desecration  of  the  holy  Sab- 
bath, these  two  pious  women  agreed  to  meet  half  way  be- 
tween their  respective  cabins,  and  hold  a  prayer  and^ 
class  meeting  by  themselves.  Sabbath  after  Sabbath 
these  devoted  females  walked  to  their  appointment  in  the 
woods,  and  there,  in  the  depths  of  that  southern  forest, 
with  no  eye  to  see  but  God,  they  spoke  to  one  another 
about  their  trials,  and  conflicts,  and  hopes,  and  "  the  Lord 
hearkened  and  heard,  and  a  book  of  remembrances  was 
written  before  him."  The  voice  of  praise  and  prayer 
echoed  through  the  wildwood.  They  not  only  prayed  for 
themselves  and  their  neighbors,  but  they  besought  the 
Lord  that  he  would  send  the  Gospel  into  that  wild  and 
destitute  region.  One  Sabbath,  while  thus  engaged  in 
religious  exercises,  they  were  overheard  by  a  hunter,  who 
came  unconsciously  upon  their  retreat ;  and  there,  in  the 
language  of  the  poet,  in  that 

"  Scene  where  spirits  blend, 
And  friend  holds  fellowship  with  friend," 

around  that  common  mercy-seat,  they  united  their  sup- 
plications. It  was  holy  ground,  and  a  sacred  awftf 
came  over  him,  as  from  the  covert  of  a  tree  he  listened 
to  their  praises  and  their  prayers.  This  hunter's  cabia 
was  not  far  distant  from  the  place  of  meeting,  and  every 
Sabbath  he  would,  at  the  appointed  time,  take  his  station 
and  listen  to  the  soul-thrilling  eloquence  of  their  prayers 
and  songs.  He  had  not,  though  a  roving  hunter,  been 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  538 

•  reared  altogether  without  the  influences  of  religion.     His 

•  pious  mother,  long  since  in  heaven,  had  taught  him  the 
t  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  her  instructions  and  prayers  would 

•  cross  his  memory  in  his  wild,  erratic  course,  and  like  the 

•  recurrence  of  a  pleasant  dream  awaken  hallowed  memo- 
tries.     On   a  certain   Sabbath   he  resolved  to  introduce 

•  himself  to  the  strange,  mysterious  worshipers;   and,  ac- 
I  cordingly,  after  they  had  concluded  their  meeting,  and 

were  taking  leave  of  each  other  to  return  to  their  homes, 
he  appeared  before  them,  and  in  tones  of  kindness  in- 
vited them  to  meet  at  his  cabin  on  the  next  Sabbath,  and 
he  would  collect  his  neighbors. 

Here  was  a  trial  which  they  had  not  anticipated.  But 
they  regarded  it  as  an  interposition  of  divine  Providence 
in  their  behalf;  and  though  it  would  be  a  heavy  cross, 
requiring  the  greatest  amount  of  moral  courage  and  en- 
durance, to  meet  the  rough  and  sturdy  backwoodsmen, 
and  hold  meeting  in  their  midst,  they  must  not  deny 
their  Master  in  refusing  to  enter  this  open  door.  It  was, 
accordingly,  noised  abroad  that  two  women  were  going  to 
hold  meeting  at  the  hunter's  house;  and  as  the  thing  was 
entirely  new,  the  whole  neighborhood  went.  The  hus- 
bands of  the  two  pious  and  devoted  women,  not  knowing 
it  was  their  wives,  but  being  filled  with  curiosity  at  the 
singular  announcement,  were  among  the  number  of  those 
who  took  their  companions  with  them  to  the  place  of 
meeting.  Their  astonishment  can  better  be  imagined 
than  described,  when  they  saw  them  take  their  places  in 
the  cabin  as  the  women  that  were  to  hold  meeting  on  the 
occasion.  One  of  them  read  a  chapter  in  the  Bible, 
which  she  did  in  a  clear,  strong  voice,  and  then  gave  out 
a  hymn,  which  was  sung  by  the  two  and  the  congregation 
to  some  familiar  tune ;  after  which  they  kneeled  down, 
and  the  one  who  had  read  the  Bible  offered  up  a  most 
fervent  and  dceply-impressivo  prayer  to  Uod,  in  behalf 
45* 


534:  SKETCHES    OF 

of  the  congregation  assembled.  After  prayer  was  over 
they  united  in  singing  one  of  those  songs  of  Zion,  with 
Avhich  they  had  made  the  woods  ring  at  their  Sabbath 
meetings  previous.  Many  a  heart  was  touched,  as  the 
divine  strains  rolled  over  the  wondering  assembly,  and 
the  tear  stole  down  many  a  rough,  sun-burnt  face.  When 
this  was  ended,  the  other  rose  tremblingly  but  firmly,  as 
with  the  heart  of  a  giant,  and  commenced  telling  the 
plain,  simple  story  of  her  conversion.  As  she  spoke,  her 
voice  assumed  a  majesty  and  a  power  truly  wonderful. 
Grod  sent  down  his  Spirit  and  attended  it  with  power  to 
the  hearts  of  the  audience;  and  first  the  hunter,  and  then 
the  two  husbands,  unable  any  longer  to  repress  their  feel- 
ings, broke  out  in  loud  cries  for  mercy.  Several,  while 
she  was  speaking,  fell,  as  if  smitten  with  lightning,  to 
the  floor,  others  fled  from  the  house  in  the  greatest  con- 
sternation. These  pious  sisters  in  the  Lord  were  not 
frightened  by  this  exhibition  of  divine  power;  for  although 
it  was  farthest  from  their  anticipations,  yet  they  had  been 
familiar  with  such  scenes  in  the  days  of  their  youth. 
They  knew  "  it  was  the  Lord's  doings,  and  it  was  mar- 
velous in  their  eyes,"  and  they,  therefore,  commenced 
singing  and  praying  with  the  slain  of  the  Lord.  It  was 
not  long  till  several  were  happily  and  powerfully  con- 
verted to  God,  and  this  increased  the  power;  and  they 
were  set  immediately  to  work  to  pray  for  penitents  and 
sinners.  The  work  spread,  mighty  consternation  fell 
upon  all  the  people,  and  far  and  near,  those  who  had  not 
attended  at  the  beginning  flocked  to  the  place  of  prayer. 
The  hunter  and  his  wife,  and  the  two  husbands  were  all 
converted,  and  the  meeting  continued  with  but  little  in- 
termission, night  and  day,  for  two  weeks.  It  was  what 
might  properly  and  most  significantly  be  denominated  a 
protracted  meeting.  The  news  of  the  wonderful  work 
flew  as  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  to  the  distance  of  forty 


WK8T£KN    METHODISM. 

or  fifty  miles,  when  it  reached  the  ears  of  brother 
who  immediately  started  for  the  scene.  When 
rived,  he  found  the  two  faithful  female  heralds 
cross  still  on  the  ground,  fighting  most  manfully  the 
battle  of  the  Lord.  They  had  already  received  forty  new 
recruits,  all  converted  and  happy  in  the  love  of  God,  and 
they  were  all  living,  speaking  witnesses  for  Jesus — not  a 
still-born  child  in  all  their  ranks.  Scarcely  had  the 
itinerant  reached  the  scene  of  action,  than,  like  the  old 
soldier,  at  the  sound  of  battle,  the  power  of  God  came 
on  him,  and  he  entered  the  ranks  of  God's  army  with  a 
shout  of  victory  and  triumph.  They  at  once  recognized 
his  spirit,  and  hailed  him  as  a  fellow-soldier;  but  how 
great  was  their  rejoicing  when  they  found  him  to  be 
one  of  Immanuel's  officers,  in  the  great  army  of  God! 
To  him  the  sisters  cheerfully  intrusted  the  leadership, 
and  he  led  them  forth  valiantly  to  glorious  war.  With  a 
voice  like  a  trumpet,  and  a  love  for  God  and  zeal  for 
souls  which  was  like  fire  in  his  bones,  he  went  from 
neighborhood  to  neighborhood  proclaiming  salvation,  and 
the  work  spread  and  prevailed,  so  that  before  the  revival 
ceased,  it  had  covered  a  sufficient  extent  of  country  to 
form  a  good  large  circuit,  in  the  entire  bounds  of  which 
there  never  had  been  preaching  before. 

And  now,  dear  reader,  what  a  field  for  reflection  is 
here  ! — a  wonderful  manifestation  of  the  power  of  God, 
through  the  agency  of  two  pious,  heroic,  Christian 
women.  How  many  would  have  said,  could  they  have 
witnessed  these  two  devoted  females,  commencing  their 
.  religious  exercises  at  that  meeting,  where  were  crowds  of 
ungodly  men,  collected  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and 
impelled  by  mere  curiosity  at  the  novelty  of  the  thing, 
'How  improper!  how  unlike  the  decency  and  order  which 
the  apostle  Paul  enjoins  should  be  observed  in  religious 
worship !  And  then,  how  shocking  to  delicacy,  for  women 


536  SKETCHES    OF 

to  speak  in  public,  especially  in  such  a  mixed  assembly  I" 
But  we  see  in  this,  as  in  other  similar  manifestations, 
that  God's  ways  are  not  as  our  ways;  and  that  He  who  has 
chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the 
mighty,  and  things  that  are  naught  to  bring  to  naught 
things  that  are,  that  no  flesh  might  glory  in  his  presence, 
the  excellency  of  the  power  being  of  God  and  not  of  man, 
selected  those  two  females  as  the  chosen  instruments 
of  his  Holy  Spirit,  to  bear  the  messages  of  mercy  and 
salvation  to  that  dark  and  destitute  region.  We  are 
obliged  to  concede  this,  or  to  admit  what  is  abhorrent  to 
every  Christian ;  namely,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  will  sanc- 
tion and  set  its  seal  to  a  work  brought  about  by  improper 
agencies. 

Again:  what  Christian,  who  even  believed  that  it 
was  right  and  proper,  and  perfectly  in  accordance  with 
that  "  decency  and  order"  recommended  by  the  apostle, 
for  women  to  exercise  their  gifts  in  singing,  and  prayer, 
and  Christian  conversation  or  exhortation,  would  have 
had  faith  to  believe  that  any  good  would  have  resulted 
from  such  a  meeting  ?  Yet  these  Christian  females  had 
faith,  and  according  to  that  faith  so  it  was  to  them.  Be- 
sides, the  circumstances  were  such  as  to  justify  such  a 
procedure.  In  their  neighborhood  there  were  no  minis- 
ters of  the  Gospel,  and  no  Sabbath  and  sanctuary  privi- 
leges; and  impressed  by  the  Spirit  to  pray  the  Lord  of 
the  harvest  that  he  would  send  forth  laborers,  they  went 
to  prayer,  and  God  heard  and  answered  in  a  way  that 
they  had  not  anticipated,  and  that  human  reason  could 
not  have  divined. 

We  will  relate  another  incident  of  female  devotion, 
which  occurred  in  the  bounds  of  the  Ohio  district.  In 
the  year  1817,  while  we  were  traveling  with  a  fellow- 
itinerant,  in  passing  along  between  the  waters  of  Oil 
creek  arid  Scrub  Grass,  which  empties  into  the  Alleghany 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  537 

river  above  Pittsburg,  we  came  in  sight  of  an  old  dilapi- 
dated log  church.     The  sight  of  an  old  church  gone  into 
decay,  never  fails  to  awaken  in  our  minds  many  reflec- 
tions, and  we  never  pass   one  without  feeling  an   irre- 
Ipressible  desire  to  understand  something  of  its  history. 
j  My  companion  being  somewhat  acquainted  with  the  his-. 
I  tory  of  this  old  church,  related  to  me  the  following,  iu 
connection  with  the  same  :     At  an  early  day,  in  the  set- 
tlement of  that  part  of  the  country,  which  was  then  de- 
nominated the  Holland  purchase,  a  small  Methodist  so- 
ciety  was   organized    by   pioneer   Methodist   preachers. 
'After  some  time  the  society  built  that  log  church,  and 
flourished  for  several  years.     In  progress  of  time,  how- 
lever,  some  of  the  old  members  died,  and  were  buried  in 
the  graveyard  close  by  the  sanctuary,  and  others  moved 
away,  till  it  was  dropped  from  the  list  of  appointments 
[as  a  preaching-place,  and  only  one  member  of  the  class 
'and  society  remained.     She  was  a  mother  in  Israel,  and, 
[like  the  prophet,  she  was  left  alone  to  sigh  over  the  deso- 
jjlations  of  Zion.     She  loved  the  old  sanctuary,  and  though 
(deserted,  she  seemed  to  realize  an  increasing  attachment 
as  time  wrought  its  inroads  upon  its  doors  and  windows, 
j  Invariably  on   the  Sabbath,  when  her  health   and  the 
weather  would  permit,  did  she  repair  to  this  deserted 
temple  and  worship  her  God.     There,  in  holy  meditation, 
did  she  recall  the  scenes  of  her  youth,  the  holy  seasons, 
happy  days  she  had  spent  with  her  brethren  and  sisters, 
some   of  whom  were   sleeping  quietly  in  the  adjoining 
church-yard,  while  others  were  far  away.     Here  she  would 
sit,  and  read,  and  sing,  and  pray,  and  talk  to  her  invisible 
God  and  Savior.     At  length,  it  was  noised  abroad  that 
she  was  a  witch,  that  the  old  church  was  haunted  with 
evil  spirits,  and  that  she  met  there  to  hold  communion 
with  the  spirits  of  darkness,  and  thus  increase  her  power 
of  evil  over  the  bodies  and  souls  of  those  around   her. 


538  SKETCHES    OF 

She  was  old  and  feeble,  and  heard  of  their  surmises,  but 
she  remembered  that  her  Master  was  charged  of  being 
possessed  by  the  devil,  and  she  heeded  them  not,  but 
continued  her  Sabbath  visits  to  the  consecrated  place. 
At  length,  two  wicked  young  men  of  the  neighborhood 
determined  to  watch  her,  and  entering  the  church  some 
time  before  she  arrived,  they  climbed  up  and  secreted 
themselves  in  the  clapboard  loft.  After  remaining  there 
a  short  time,  the  old  lady  entered  the  church  and  took 
her  seat  by  the  rude  altar.  The  young  men,  as  they  after- 
ward related,  experienced  some  sensations  of  fear,  see- 
ing, as  they  supposed,  the  old  witch  draw  from  her  side- 
pocket  an  old  leather-enveloped  book,  but  their  fears  soon 
subsided  when  they  heard  her  read,  instead  of  an  invoca- 
tion to  the  spirits  of  darkness,  the  story  of  the  widow  of 
Sarepta.  After  she  had  finished,  she  drew  from  her 
other  pocket  an  antiquated-looking  hymn-book,  from 
which  she  read  that  inimitable  hymn, 

"  Jesus,  I  my  cross  have  taken, 

All  to  leave  and  follow  thee ; 
Naked,  poor,  despised,  forsaken, 
All  I  am  is  lost  in  thee." 

After  having  sung  this  beautiful  hymn,  which  she  did 
with  a  trembling,  but  sweet,  melodious  voice,  she  fell 
upon  her  knees  and  poured  out  her  full  heart  to  God  in 
prayer  and  supplication.  As  friend  holds  fellowship  with 
friend,  so  did  she  talk  with  her  heavenly  Father.  She 
told  the  Lord  all  her  complaints  and  grievances,  and  ; 
lamented  the  sad  condition  of  the  old  and  young  of  the 
neighborhood,  who  were  alike  on  the  road  to  perdition. 
She  then  alluded  to  the  happy  seasons  she  had  enjoyed' 
in  that  place,  when  Zion  shed  her  holy  light  and  converts 
crowded  her  gates.  In  piteous  strains  she  lamented  her 
desolations,  and  prayed  that  the  Lord  would  build  up  her 
waste  places,  and  again  crowd  her  gates  with  living 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  539 

converts.  She  prayed  especially  for  those  who  cast  out 
her  name  as  evil,  that  the  Lord  would  change  their  hearts. 
She  prayed,  also,  for  the  young  and  giddy  multitude,  who 
were  forgetting  God  and  living  as  if  there  were  no  hell 
to  shun,  no  heaven  to  pursue.  While  she  was  praying 
God's  Spirit  was  at  work  on  the  hearts  of  the  young  men 
on  the  loft,  and  they  began  to  weep  and  cry  for  mercy. 
The  old  lady  was  not  startled;  she  seemed  to  realize,  while 
praying,  an  answer  to  her  prayer;  and  as  the  Savior  in- 
vited Zaccheus  to  come  down  from  the  tree,  because  on 
that  day  salvation  had  come  to  his  house,  so  did  she 
invite  those  young  men  to  come  down  from  their  hiding- 
place.  They  obeyed  her  directions,  and  there  at  that 
altar,  where,  in  other  days,  she  had  witnessed  many  con- 
versions, before  that  Sabbath  sun  sank  behind  the  west- 
ern hills,  they  found  pardon  and  salvation.  From  this 
hour  the  work  of  God  commenced;  the  meetings  were 
continued,  and  a  flourishing  Church  was  raised  up,  and 
the  old  dilapidated  log  meeting-house  was  again  made  to 
resound  with  the  happy  voices  of  the  children  of  Zion. 


540  SKETCHES    OF 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

THE    INDIAN    CHIEF,    R  H  O  N-Y  A  N-NE  S  S  . 

AT  the  death  of  Rhon-yan-ness  he  was  the  oldest  chief 
in  the  Wyandott  nation.  He  was  among  the  first  that 
embraced  the  Grospel,  and  became  a  convert  to  the  relig- 
ion of  Christ,  among  the  Wyandotts.  He  was  a  great 
hunter,  and  first  among  the  braves  of  his  tribe,  and  was 
as  much  honored  as  a  chief  as  any  chief  of  any  nation. 
Like  Saul  of  Tarsus,  who,  as  a  brave  and  indefatigable 
opponent  of  Christianity,  when  converted,  became  equally 
courageous  and  persevering  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  so 
it  was  with  this  Christian  Indian.  There  was  no  enter- 
prise, however  hazardous,  that  he  would  not  undertake 
for  the  interests  of  his  nation  before  conversion;  nor  was 
there  any  danger  he  would  not  brave,  or  sacrifice  he  would 
not  make,  for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  his  cause,  after  he 
had  been  made  partaker  of  the  grace  of  life. 

We  will  relate  an  incident  which  occurred  in  his  life, 
that  will  serve  to  show,  in  some  degree,  his  zeal  and 
courage  as  an  Indian,  and  will  also  illustrate  several 
points  in  his  character  better,  perhaps,  than  the  most 
elaborate  detail.  Previous  to  the  relation  of  this  incident 
it  will  be  necessary  to  refer  the  reader  to  a  scrap  of  bor- 
der warfare. 

"  About  the  middle  of  July,  1782,  seven  "Wyandotts 
crossed  the  Ohio,  a  few  miles  above  Wheeling,  and  com- 
mitted great  depredations  upon  the  southern  shore,  kill- 
ing an  old  man,  whom  they  found  alone  in  his  cabin,  and 
spreading  terror  throughout  the  neighborhood.  Within 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  541 

a  few  hours  after  their  retreat,  eight  men  assembled  from 
different  parts  of  the  small  settlement,  and  pursued  the 
enemy  with  great  expedition.  Among  the  most  active 
and  efficient  of  the  party  were  two  brothers — Adam  and 
Andrew  Poe.  Adam  was  particularly  popular.  In 
strength,  action,  and  hardihood,  he  had  no  equal,  being 
finely  formed,  and  inured  to  all  the  perils  of  the  woods. 
They  had  not  followed  the  trail  far  before  they  became 
satisfied  that  the  depredators  were  conducted  by  Big 
Foot,  a  renowned  chief  of  the  Wyandott  tribe,  who  de- 
rived his  name  from  the  immense  size  of  his  feet,  and 
his  strength  was  represented  as  herculean.  He  had 
also  five  brothers,  but  little  inferior  to  himself  in  size 
and  courage;  and  as  they  generally  went  in  company,  they 
were  the  terror  of  the  whole  country.  Adam  Poe  was 
overjoyed  at  the  idea  of  measuring  his  strength  with 
that  of  so  celebrated  a  chief,  and  urged  the  pursuit  with 
a  keenness  which  quickly  brought  him  into  the  vicinity 
of  the  enemy.  For  the  last  few  miles  the  trail  had  led 
them  up  the  southern  bank  of  the  Ohio,  where  the  foot- 
prints  in  the  sand  were  deep  and  obvious;  but  when 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  point  at  which  the  whites  as 
well  as  the  Indians  were  in  the  habit  of  crossing,  it 
suddenly  diverged  from  the  stream,  and  stretched  along 
a  rocky  ridge,  forming  an  obtuse  angle  with  its  former 
direction.  Here  Adam  halted  for  a  moment,  and  directed 
his  brother  and  the  other  young  men  to  follow  the  trail 
with  proper  caution,  while  he  himself  still  adhered  to 
the  river  path,  which  led  through  clusters  of  willows 
directly  to  the  point  where  he  supposed  the  enemy  to  lie. 
Having  examined  the  priming  of  his  gun,  he  crept  cau- 
tiously through  the  bushes,  till  he  had  a  view  of  the 
point  of  embarkation.  Here  lay  two  canoes,  empty  and 
apparently  deserted.  Being  satisfied,  however,  that  the 
Indians  were  close  at  hand,  he  relaxed  nothing  of  his 
46 


54:2  SKETCHES   OF 

vigilance,  and  quickly  gained  a  jutting  cliff,  which  hung 
immediately  over  the  canoes.  Hearing  a  low  murmur 
below,  he  peered  cautiously  over,  and  beheld  the  object 
of  his  search.  The  gigantic  Big  Foot  lay  below  him  in 
the  shade  of  a  willow,  and  was  talking,  in  a  low,  deep 
tone,  to  another  warrior,  who  seemed  a  mere  pigmy  by 
his  side.  Adam  cautiously  drew  back,  and  cocked  his 
gun.  The  mark  was  fair ;  the  distance  did  not  exceed 
twenty  feet,  and  his  aim  was  unerring.  Raising  his  rifle 
slowly  and  cautiously,  he  took  a  steady  aim  at  Big  Foot's 
breast,  and  drew  the  trigger.  His  gun  flashed.  Both 
Indians  sprung  to  their  feet  with  a  deep  interjection  of 
surprise,  and  for  a  single  second  all  three  stared  upon 
each  other.  This  inactivity,  however,  was  soon  over. 
Adam  was  too  much  hampered  by  the  bushes  to  retreat, 
and  setting  his  life  upon  a  cast  of  the  die,  he  sprung 
over  the  bush  which  had  sheltered  him,  and,  summon- 
ing all  his  powers,  leaped  boldly  down  the  precipice, 
and  alighted  upon  the  breast  of  Big  Foot  with  a  shock 
which  bore  him  to  the  earth.  At  the  moment  of  contact 
Adam  had  also  thrown  his  right  arm  around  the  neck  of 
the  smaller  Indian,  so  that  all  three  came  to  the  earth 
together.  At  that  moment  a  sharp  firing  was  heard 
among  the  bashes  above,  announcing  that  the  other  par- 
ties were  engaged ;  but  the  trio  below  were  too  busy  to 
attend  to  any  thing  but  themselves.  Big  Foot  was,  for 
an  instant,  stunned  by  the  violence  of  the  shock,  and 
Adam  was  enabled  to  keep  them  both  down.  But  the 
exertion  necessary  for  that  purpose  was  so  great,  that  he 
had  no  leisure  to  use  his  knife.  Big  Foot  quickly  recov- 
ered, and,  without  attempting  to  rise,  wrapped  his  long 
arms  around  Adam's  body,  and  pressed  him  to  his  breast 
with  the  crushing  force  of  a  boa-constrictor !  Adam,  as 
we  have  already  remarked,  was  a  powerful  man,  and  had 
seldom  encountered  his  equal  j  but  never  had  he  yet  felt 


WESTEKN    METHODISM.  543 

an  embrace  like  that  of  Big  Foot.  He  instantly  relaxed 
his  hold  of  the  small  Indian,  who  sprung  to  his  feet. 
Big  Foot  then  ordered  him  to  run  for  his  tomahawk, 
which  lay  within  ten  steps,  and  kill  the  white  man  while 
he  held  him  in  his  arms.  Adam,  seeing  his  danger, 
struirgled  manfully  to  extricate  himself  from  the  folds 
of  the  giant,  but  in  vain.  The  lesser  Indian  approached 
with  his  uplifted  tomahawk;  but  Adam  watched  him 
closely,  and  as  he  was  about  to  strike,  gave  him  a  kick  so 
sudden  and  violent  as  to  knock  the  tomahawk  from  his 
hand,  and  seat  him  staggering  back  into  the  water.  Big 
Foot  uttered  an  exclamation  in  a  tone  of  deep  contempt 
at  the  failure  of  his  companion,  and  raising  his  voice  to 
its  highest  pitch,  thundered  out  several  words  in  the 
Indian  tongue,  which  Adam  could  not  understand,  but 
supposed  to  be  a  direction  for  a  second  attack.  The  les- 
ser Indian  now  again  approached,  carefully  shunning 
Adam's  heels,  and  making  many  motions  with  his  toma- 
hawk, in  order  to  deceive  him  as  to  the  point  where  the 
blow  would  fall.  This  lasted  for  several  seconds,  till  a 
thundering  exclamation  from  Big  Foot  compelled  his 
companion  to  strike.  Such  was  Adam's  dexterity  and 
vigilance,  however,  that  he  managed  to  receive  the  toma- 
hawk in  a  glancing  direction  upon  his  left  wrist,  wound- 
ing him  deeply,  but  not  disabling  him.  He  now  made  a 
sudden  and  desperate  effort  to  free  himself  from  the 
arms  of  the  giant,  and  succeeded.  Instantly  snatching 
up  a  rifle — for  the  Indian  could  not  venture  to  shoot  for 
fear  of  hurting  his  companion — he  shot  the  lesser  Indian 
through  the  body.  But  scarcely*  had  he  done  so  when 
Big  Foot  arose,  and  placing  one  hand  upon  his  collar, 
and  the  other  upon  his  hip,  pitched  him  ten  feet  into 
the  air,  as  he  himself  would  have  pitched  a  child.  Adam 
fell  upon  his  back  at  the  edge  of  the  water;  but  before 
his  antagonist  could  spring  upon  him,  he  was  again  upon 


54:4  SKETCHES    OF 

his  feet,  and  stung  with  rage  at  the  idea  of  being  han- 
dled so  easily,  he  attacked  his  gigantic  antagonist  with  a 
fury  which,  for  a  time,  compensated  for  inferiority  of 
strength.  It  was  now  a  fair  fist  fight  between  them ;  for 
in  the  hurry  of  the  struggle  neither  had  leisure  to  draw 
their  knives.  Adam's  superior  activity  and  experience 
as  a  pugilist  gave  him  great  advantage.  The  Indian 
struck  awkwardly,  and  finding  himself  rapidly  dropping 
to  leeward,  he  closed  with  his  antagonist,  and  again 
hurled  him  to  the  ground.  They  quickly  rolled  into  the 
river,  and  the  struggle  continued  with  unabated  fury, 
each  attempting  to  drown  the  other.  The  Indian  being 
unused  to  such  violent  exertion,  and  having  been  much 
injured  by  the  first  shock  in  his  stomach,  was  unable  to 
exert  the  same  powers  which  had  given  him  such  a  de- 
cided superiority  at  first;  and  Adam,  seizing  him  by 
the  scalp-lock,  put  his  head  under  water,  and  held  it 
there  till  the  faint  struggles  of  the  Indian  induced  him 
to  believe  that  he  was  drowned,  when  he  relaxed  his 
hold,  and  attempted  to  draw  his  knife.  The  Indian, 
however,  to  use  Adam's  own  expression,  'had  only  been 
possuming  !'  He  instantly  regained  his  feet,  and  in  his 
turn  put  his  adversary  under.  In  the  struggle  both  were 
carried  out  into  the  current,  beyond  their  depth,  and  each 
was  compelled  to  relax  his  hold  and  swim  for  his  life 
There  was  still  one  loaded  rifle  upon  the  shore,  and  each 
swam  hard  in  order  to  reach  it;  but  the  Indian  proved  the 
most  expert  swimmer,  and  Adam,  seeing  that  he  should  be 
too  late,  turned  and  swam  out  into  the  stream,  intending 
to  dive,  and  thus  frustrate  his  enemy's  intention.  At  this 
instant  Andrew,  having  heard  that  his  brother  was  alone, 
in  a  struggle  with  two  Indians,  and  in  great  danger,  ran 
up  hastily  to  the  edge  of  the  bank  above,  in  order  to 
assist  him.  Another  white  man  followed  him  closely, 
and  seeing  Adam  in  the  river,  covered  with  blood,  and 


WESTERN    METUODISM.  545 

swimming  rapidly  from  shore,  mistook  him  for  an  Indian, 
and  fired  upon  him,  wounding  him  dangerously  in  the 
shoulder.  Adam  turned,  and  seeing  his  brother,  called 
loudly  upon  him  to  '  shoot  the  big  Indian  upon  the 
shore.'  Andrew's  gun,  however,  was  empty,  having  just 
been  discharged.  Fortunately  Big  Foot  had  also  seized 
the  gun  with  which  Adam  had  shot  the  lesser  Indian,  so 
that  both  were  on  an  equality.  The  contest  now  was  who 
should  load  first.  Big  Foot  poured  in  his  powder  first, 
and  drawing  his  ramrod  out  of  its  sheath  in  too  great  a 
hurry,  threw  it  in  the  river,  and  while  he  ran  to  recover 
it.  Andrew  gained  an  advantage.  Still  the  Indian  was 
but  a  second  too  late,  for  his  gun  was  at  his  shoulder 
when  Andrew's  ball  entered  his  breast.  The  gun  drop- 
ped from  his  hands,  and  he  fell  forward  on  his  face  upon 
the  very  margin  of  the  river.  Andrew,  now  alarmed  for 
his  brother,  who  was  scarcely  able  to  swim,  threw  down 
his  gun,  and  rushed  into  the  river,  in  order  to  bring  him 
ashore ;  but  Adam,  more  intent  upon  securing  the  scalp 
of  Big  Foot  as  a  trophy  than  upon  his  own  safety,  called 
loudly  upon  his  brother  to  leave  him  alone  and  scalp  the 
big  Indian,  who  was  now  endeavoring  to  roll  himself  in 
the  water,  from  a  romantic  desire  peculiar  to  the  Indian 
warrior,  of  securing  his  scalp  from  the  enemy.  Andrew, 
however,  refused  to  obey,  and  insisted  upon  saving  the 
living  before  attending  to  the  dead.  Big  Foot,  in  the 
mean  time,  had  succeeded  in  reaching  the  deep  water 
before  he  expired,  and  his  body  was  borne  off  by  the 
waves,  without  being  stripped  of  the  ornament  and  pride 
of  an  Indian  warrior. 

"Not  a  man  of  the  Indians  had  escaped.  Five  of  Big 
Foot's  brothers,  the  flower  of  the  Wyandott  nation,  had 
accompanied  him  in  the  expedition,  and  all  perished.  It 
is  said  that  the  news  of  this  calamity  threw  the  whole 
tribe  into  mourning.  Their  remarkable  size,  their  courage, 

46* 


SKETCHES  OP 


and  their  superior  intelligence,  gave  them  immense  influ. 
ence  which,  greatly  to  their  eredit,  was  generally  e,  °te" 

had  sa°ved       °f  ^"^     ^^  >°Werft"  -«o 
had  saved  many  prisoners  from  the  stake,  and  had  given 

a  milder  character  to  the  warfare  of  the  Indian,  in    hit 
part  of  the  country.     A  chief  of  the  same  name   wa 
alive  ,n  that  part  of  the  country  so  late  ns  1709 
w  ether  a  brother  or  son  of  ^  Foot  is  J^' 
Adam  Poe  recovered  of  his  wounds,  and  ,ived  many  y0™' 
rfter  h,s  memorable  conflict;  but  never  forgot  the  tre 

p0e:  rHhus>  wh;ch  he  8ttstaiMd  «•  "»  ™  *  £ 

Foot        He  was  the  grandfather  of  Adam  Poe   presen 
Assistant  Agent  of  the  Book  Concern 


deah  r  "     • 

th  of  the  B,g  Foot  brothers,  created  an  implacable 

hatred  ,n  every  heart  toward  their  destroyer.,     Cy  an 
Indian  malediction  had  been  poured  out  upon  ft'C 

°e  Md 


the  west 


bankof    h  .  '  —  on  te  west 

the  Oh,o  river,  at  the  mouth  of  Yellow  creek 
was  known  to  the  Wyandotts.     It  seemed,  however   that 
none  of  the  nation  possessed  sumcient  coura^to  e  ± 
ter,  single-handed,  this  foe  of  the  redman,  whose  s  relTh 
was  cons.dered  equal  to  that  of  Big  Foot  himself     At 
ongth,  hav,ng  determined  to  wait  no  longer  in  seekin-, 
to  be  revenged  of  the  death  of  their  Golial,  the  natio^ 
ma  e  choice  of  their  bravest  warrior,  in  the  person 
Khon-yan.ne.ss,  ono  »f  "•«'  chiefs.     Having  made  all 
the  ^preparations  necessary  for  ft.  accomplishment  of  the 

ou  t  T0rfn  Tsted.to  him  by  hk  »•"».  ^  *^ 

thro"  h  !?    °,r  the  reSidenCe  Of  P°e'     Af"=r  passing 
ugh   the   then   wilderness   of  Ohio,   he  at  le^tn" 
ea^hed  the  ercet   which  emptied  into  the  Ohio,  on  t, 
>nk  of  which  his  intended  victim  lived.     No   SOODer 
however,  had  he  placed  his  foot  within  the  doL  of  tie 


WESTERN   METHODISM.  547 

brave  backwoods  hunter  than  he  was  received  with  the 
utmost  cordiality  and  friendship,  while  every  hospitality 
that  the  cabin  afforded  was,  with  true  pioneer  generosity, 
tendered  to  the  Indian  guest.  When  the  time  for  retir- 
ing to  rest  had  come,  there  being  but  one  room  and  one 
bed,  Poe  made  a  comfortable  pallet  for  the  Indian  on  the 
floor  by  the  fire,  after  which  he  and  his  wife  retired  to 
rest,  without  any  suspicion  whatever  in  regard  to  the 
designs  of  the  Indian.  It  was  now  a  time  of  peace,  and 
the  Indians,  particularly  the  Wyandotts,  were  regarded 
as  friendly.  It  was  not  long  till  they  both  fell  asleep, 
when  llhon-yan-ness  rose  stealthily  from  his  couch,  and 
proceeded  cautiously,  with  his  tomahawk  and  scalping- 
knife,  to  the  bedside  of  the  unconscious  sleepers. 
Scarcely  had  he  arrived  at  the  spot  than  the  kindness 
of  hid  host  flashed  upon  his  mind.  "  How,"  thought  he, 
can  I  perpetrate  an  act  of  so  much  cruelty  upon  one 
who  has  taken  me  into  his  wigwam,  and  treated  me  with 
so  much  friendship?"  The  better  feelings  of  his  nature 
overcame  him,  and  finding  it  impossible  to  commit  an 
act  which,  though  it  might  bring  honor  to  him  from  his 
nation  as  the  avenger  of  the  death  of  Big  Foot,  he  could 
not  nerve  himself  up  to  such  a  pitch  of  desperateness  as 
to  obliterate  all  the  gratitude  of  his  heart.  Enemy  as 
Poe  had  been  to  his  nation,  yet  he  could  not  think  of 
imbruing  his  hands  in  his  blood,  and  with  these  thoughts 
he  crept  back  softly  to  his  bed.  He  had  not  lain  long 
till  the  question  came  up  before  him  in  a  somewhat  dif- 
ferent aspect,  and  his  thoughts  took  a  turn  something 
like  the  following:  "Have  you  not  been  solemnly  set 
apart  by  the  nation  to  avenge  the  death  of  its  bravest 
warrior  ?  and  will  not  the  ghost  of  the  departed  haunt 
you  in  your  chase  in  the  wilderness,  and  in  your  mid- 
night slumbers,  till  it  is  appeased  by  the  death  of  Poe  ? 
Does  not  your  religion  require  you  to  execute  vengeance 


54:8  SKETCHES    OF 

as  the  agent  of  the  Great  Spirit  ?  and  will  he  not  frown 
upon  you  if  you  fail  to  do  the  work  of  death  ?"  At  this 
Rhon-yan-ness  again  seized  his  deadly  instruments,  and 
sprang  to  his  feet.  It  was  now  past  midnight,  and  all 
was  still.  No  sound  could  be  heard  hut  the  gloomy  hoot 
of  an  owl,  which  had  nestled  in  some  tree  in  the  sur- 
rounding forest.  The  light  of  the  fire  had  gone  out,  and 
there  were  only  a  few  burning  coals  left  upon  the  hearth, 
from  which  was  emitted  a  kind  of  twilight  glare  that  en-- 
abled  him  to  gaze  upon  the  features  of  his  victim.  Sum- 
moning all  his  courage  he  raised  the  fearful  tomahawk, 
and  was  about  to  bury  it  in  the  head  of  his  host,  when 
something  whispered,  "  Shame  on  the  Indian  that  can 
strike  a  friend.  Mean  and  cowardly  is  the  warrior  who 
would  kill  even  an  enemy  that  has  treated  him  kindly." 
His  heart  faltered,  his  hand  trembled,  and  the  tomahawk 
fell  by  his  side.  Without  disturbing  the  family  he  re- 
turned to  his  pallet,  and,  dismissing  all  thoughts  of 
revenge,  he  slept  soundly  till  morning. 

Poe  rose  early  and  made  his  fire,  without  disturbing 
his  guest,  who  was  in  a  heavy  slumber.  When  it  was 
fully  day,  and  the  bright  fire  blazed  around,  he  had  an 
opportunity  of  gazing  upon  the  broad,  open  features  of 
the  manly  Indian  whose  giant  form  was  before  him. 
There  he  lay,  with  his  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife  by 
his  side.  Poe  understood  enough  of  the  Indian  charac- 
ter to  know  that  in  the  days  of  peace  they  were  capable 
of  the  most  sincere  and  lasting  friendship;  and  though 
he  had  measured  arms  with  them  in  the  deadly  strife, 
they  were  more  sinned  against  than  sinning,  and  whatever 
cruelties  they  may  have  committed,  were  excited  by  the 
depredations  of  the  white  man :  hence  he  loved  the  In- 
dian, and  had  often  bewailed  the  unhappy  fate  of  Big 
Foot  and  his  brothers.  Anxious  to  enjoy  the  society  of 
his  Indian  guest  he  approached  him,  and  gently  touching 


WESTERN    METHODISM.  54:9 

him,  said  softly,  "Wake,  brother,  wake;  the  morning 
lias  come."  The  Indian  sprang  to  his  feet  instantly, 
and,  seizing  him  by  the  hand,  bestowed  his  Indian  bless- 
ings. After  again  partaking  of  the  humble  but  bounte- 
ous fare  of  the  cabin,  he  made  ready  for  departure.  As 
he  was  leaving  Poe  furnished  him  with  provisions  for  his 
journey,  and,  taking  him  by  the  hand,  said,  "  Once  we 
were  at  war,  and  were  enemies ;  but  now  we  are  at  peace, 
and  are  friends.  We  have  buried  the  hatchet,  and  are 
brothers.  Let  us  live  in  peace  and  brotherhood."  Ilhon- 
yan-uess  was  too  much  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of 
gratitude  for  the  goodness  of  his  heart  to  make  any  re- 
ply; but  the  big  tear  which  rolled  down  his  bronze 
check  told  the  sincerity  of  grateful  emotion,  and  he  left 
to  join  his  nation  on  the  distant  plains  of  Sandusky. 

He  often  told  us  that  was  a  happy  day  in  his  life,  and 
the  more  he  thought  and  reasoned  about  the  course  he 
had  pursued  the  more  he  was  convinced  that  he  had 
acted  right.  Not  long  after  his  return  to  his  nation  he 
became  interested  in  the  missionary  labors  among  his 
people ;  and  the  wonderful  story  of  the  white  man's  God, 
as  he  came  to  earth  and  suffered  and  died  for  sinners, 
deeply  affected  his  heart.  Soon  this  bold,  intrepid  chief 
renounced  his  Indian  religion  and  forms  of  worship,  and 
embraced  Christianity.  He  was  soundly  and  happily 
converted  to  God,  and  became  a  burning  and  a  shining 
light  in  the  midst  of  a  dark  and  perverse  nation.  Being 
now  in  Christ  he  was  a  new  creature ;  old  things  had 
passed  away,  and  all  things  had  become  new.  He  felt 
upspringing  in  his  heart  that  love  which  worketh  no  ill 
to  its  neighbor,  but  makes  its  possessor  kind,  and  gentle, 
and  forgiving;  and  which  teaches  that  "whomsoever 
hateth  his  brother  is  a  murderer,"  in  the  eye  of  the  holy 
law,  as  effectually  as  if  he  had  plunged  the  fatal  knife 
into  his  heart.  He  took  a  bold  stand  in  religion,  and  as 


550  SKETCHES    OF 

a  class-leader  and  steward  lie  rendered  efficient  service 
to  the  mission.  Three  years  after  his  conversion  he  real- 
ized a  maturity  of  Christian  grace,  which  enabled  him  to 
rejoice  in  that  perfect  love  which  casts  out  all  tormenting 
fear.  His  life  was  hid  with  Christ  in  God,  and  he  walked 
as  seeing  Him  who  was  invisible.  His  whole  life  was 
unblamable,  and  his  character  as  a  Christian  irreproach- 
able; and  we  never  knew  a  Christian  in  any  nation,  or 
among  any  people,  more  innocent,  guileless,  and  happy 
than  Rhon-yan-ness.  Rooted  and  grounded  in  love  he 
was  steadfast  in  his  profession,  and  labored  hard  to  ele- 
vate and  improve  his  nation.  His  powerful  influence  as 
a  chief  was  brought  to  bear  upon  the  heartless  trader, 
who  would  come  among  the  Indians  with  his  fire-water, 
and  rob  them  of  their  brains  and  furs.  The  Indians 
have  been  cruelly  treated,  and  it  is  high  time  the  Gov- 
ernment should  interpose  more  effectually  its  authority 
in  their  behalf.  How  much  we  owe  them  as  a  nation 
none  can  tell;  but  it  is  high  time  that  some  move  was 
made  to  r«pay  the  debt.  We  were  deeply  and  intensely 
thrilled  at  the  last  anniversary  of  the  Parent  Society, 
which  was  held  in  this  city,  by  the  speech  of  Bishop 
Janes,  who  has  charge  of  the  Indian  missions.  It  was 
so  true,  so  appropriate,  and  so  fearless  that  we  would, 
had  we  space,  hand  it  down  to  posterity  as  the  testimony 
of  the  Church  in  behalf  of  our  native  red  brethren. 

After  being  a  member  of  the  Church  militant  for  a 
period  of  sixteen  years,  Rhon-yan-ness  was  called  to  join 
the  Church  triumphant.  He  has  attended  a  quarterly 
meeting  at  the  mission  on  Sabbath,  and  while,  as  a  stew- 
ard, he  was  handing  round  the  bread  in  love-feast,  as  em- 
blematic of  universal  charity,  he  seemed  to  be  unusu- 
ally happy.  When  relating  his  Christian  experience,  in 
which  he  referred  to  his  interview  with  Adam  Poe,  he 
thrilled  every  heart  with  the  story  of  redeeming  love. 


WEBTEBN    METHODISM.  551 

feaisin"  his  streaming  eyes  toward  heaven,  he  clapped  his 
iands,°and  shouted  in  prospect  of  his  long-sought  honfe. 
Two  days  after  this  meeting  he  was  called  by  the  Master 
to  enter  his  inheritance  above,  and  full  of  faith  and  holy 
triumph  he  passed  away  to  the  spirit-land. 


THB   END. 


J 


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